The National RV Training Academy (NRVTA) recently issued a summary of its 2022 annual graduate achievement report.
NRVTA helps train mobile RV service technicians and inspectors. Each year, the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC), a state provider of workforce development services, requires NRVTA to submit a report detailing graduate success.
TWC requires the report to include the percentage of students, both employed and self-employed, who completed an NRVTA training program and are using their skills within an industry-related career as well as their average starting pay.
“These are not income guarantees, nor are they suggestions as to what an NRVTA graduate should charge their customers,” said Terry Cooper, president of NRVTA. “However, the figures do provide evidence of the success NRVTA graduates enjoy in their businesses and careers.”
According to the 2022 annual report:
- Of the students who completed advanced training to become an RV service technician, 73% are employed and making an average starting wage of $104.76 per hour.
- Of the students who completed RV inspector training, 78% are employed and make an average starting wage of $104.35 an hour.
“These are statistics were collected from our program graduates who may be working for a dealership or in a business of their own,” Cooper said. “The figures also include people who are in the process of starting a business and graduates who have not yet started employment in the RV industry.”
NRVTA’s three-week RV inspector program includes a hands-on RV Fundamentals class, courses covering the principles of RV inspections plus advanced training pertaining to skills, methods and evaluation techniques.
NRVTA’s five-week RV technician course includes the RV Fundamentals class plus four advanced hands-on courses in RV air conditioners and heat pumps, exterior systems, absorption refrigerators, water heaters and furnaces. Students can opt to take two additional advanced classes in RV solar power and generators.
“Our unique blend of classroom instruction and hands-on labs prepares students to handle just about any type of repair they’ll encounter,” Cooper said. “It may be more hands-on intensive than some other programs, but we want to springboard our graduates into successful businesses or careers.”
Cooper said mobile RV technicians are in high demand as they can provide needed service at campgrounds and storage centers, with mobile technician repair, consumers do not need to unhook their RVs or abandon their vacations to drive to a service center.
NRVTA graduates often need support in the field once they leave the academy and get jobs or start businesses. Graduates get support from two trade associations.
The National RV Inspector’s Association (NRVIA) certifies inspectors, while the RV Technician Association of America (RVTAA) tests technicians and provides professional certification for people who fix RVs. Both organizations support members with private groups, continuing education classes and other benefits.
“NRVTA has set up so many technicians and inspectors for successful careers over the years, it’s just natural that the academy partner with associations like NRVIA and RVTAA to develop an infrastructure to ensure their continued success after graduating,” said Tony Flammia, NRVTA director of sales and marketing. “Through classroom instruction and hands-on labs, NRVTA not only provides the technical skills students need to be effective in their work, but the school also provides resources to set up a small business and market themselves to prospective clients.”
