The Recreational Vehicle Industry Association announced plans this week that it will build a new technical institute in Elkhart to train RV workers. Staff photo by Santiago Flores
ELKHART — A new institute specifically focused on developing technical skills for use in the recreational vehicle industry is planned for the Elkhart area.
In a meeting last week, the board of directors for the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association voted to approve a strategic plan and $10 million initial investment to build the “RV Technical Institute” in Elkhart. The association represents and advocates on behalf of the RV industry nationwide.
The goal of the institute is to fill shortages in the number of technicians who conduct maintenance and repairs on RVs. The shortage hasn’t been spurred by existing technicians retiring or leaving the field, but instead by the ballooning number of RVs on the roads in recent years.
“What we’ve seen in the last 5-6 years is RV shipments have grown year over year by double-digit percentages,” said Matt Rose, RV director for the Indiana Manufactured Housing Association-Recreation Vehicle Indiana Council. “With more people on the road enjoying RVs, (that) in turn means more people need work done on their RVs. It all comes full circle.”
Rose said the technician shortage has a reached a point where different employers are competing for the same technicians.
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