I would like to be in this conversation as well. I agree that the concentration needs to be on generic working skills, and less on specific bicycle mechanics.
The sad reality is that most bike shops pay very little to their mechanics, and while I have heard every shop owner complain about a "qualified labor shortage" what they are really saying is a "qualified labor that is willing to work for peanuts." There are plenty of fast and efficient mechanics out there, but those traits landed them better higher paying jobs. Until shop owners are willing to put an accurate value on their mechanics' wages, I only see bicycle mechanics being a career for a select few. And so it remains the accepted high school, summer or college job -- but not a career.
UBI is an official vocational rehab program, but again they concentrate on mechanics. Which means they train people for jobs that don't exist. Most shop owners (at least locally) seem to regard the UBI and Barnett programs as something that has a 100% acceptance and graduation rate. Aka, you got the money? You got the diploma! Whereas a good school/college/training should weed out the crap in a sector and only graduate valuable employees. The harder the program is to get into, and the easier it is to flunk out is one major thing that makes good schools -- good schools.
So a solely 100% mechanics program is for the home mechanic, not a shop employee.
However most shop owners also suffer from a lack of business experience. They were just a mechanic and they opened or inherited a shop in one of the few industries they knew. It would seem to me the ideal shop employee would not only fill in the mechanical gaps, but the technology, marketing/media, sales, and business analysis gaps. Which means they need to be entrepreneurs at heart. And when winter comes and the shop owner looks at the strengths of the bicycle mechanics, they aren't looking at just efficient mechanics -- they are looking for the best employee for any job.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Morrison
Executive Director
Salt Lake City Bicycle Collective
2312 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84115
w: 801-328-2453
c: 801-688-0183
f: 801-466-3856
Hi Christopher
I am interested in this conversation but couldn't participate at this time since I have a few more days of a leave and will be swamped with other priorities when I return on 2/1.
Take care
Andy Greif
Sent from my iPhone
I have been teaching Bicycle related subjects for 30+ years as a professional assembly trainer, Certified Master Tech/ trainer for national chain of bike shops, Teacher of Bicycle Vocation Education programs in profit and non for profit schools, and a class room teacher LD/BD using the bicycle as engagement focus for all academic subjects. I was taught through the original Schwinn mechanics school, Certified by Barnett's as a Master Technician, Certified assembler and mechanics trainer for HSF, and one of the founding members of Youth Bicycle Education Network, Bikes for Chicago, retired Director of Blackstone Bicycle Works, St Louis Bicycle Works, Bicycle Action Project, plus worked for many shops in my spare time. I am now writing material for professional shop training.
My two cents are: A highly trained mechanic that is not efficient, organized, fast, is going to find it hard to get employed year round or make the bicycle industry into a career.
Vocational Education Programs need to include methods that make the students work both high quality and lightning fast. There also needs to be practice with accountability paperwork.
I achieved this quality, efficiency balance using many different methods. The one factor I focused on was "FUN"
Would you two or other on the list like to start a conversation about Vocation Education? Getting kids and adults into a good job?
Christopher Wallace
Professional Bicycle Mechanic Trainer
Darryl,
Ryan kragerud, prez of Bicycle Longmont, co. We're contemplating a partnership with a high school or our vocational school to start a bike maintenance/repair apprentice program. Do you have some info you could shoot me?
Ryan kragerud, President
Bicycle Longmont
Www.bicyclelongmont.org Www.gknightride.org On Tuesday, January 24, 2012, Darryl Fuller <
darryl.f.fuller@gmail.com> wrote:
I run a bike shop at the independent co-ed High school I work at here in Western Colorado. We teach Bike Shop as part of our Work Program. We repair the school communities bikes and refurbish donated bicycles.
Thanks,
Darryl Fuller
Colorado Rocky Mountain School Bike Shop
1493 County Road 106
Carbondale, CO 81623
www.crms.org