RV Technician
Apprenticeship Program
USRV Apprentice technician is a paid Department of Labor apprentice program
(DOL # 2020-TX-7877) that creates expert trained RV technicians by pairing classroom and intensive hands-on exposure at the side of a USRV Master technician. Selecting a career as an USRV Technician, you will be challenged on a wide variety of systems in an industry experiencing explosive growth.
The USRV Technician Apprenticeship Program at Blue Moon Mobile RV
The USRV Technician Apprenticeship Program at Blue Moon Mobile RV is one of the only paid Department of Labor apprentice programs in the industry. That means you get paid as you learn your trade – which isn’t very common in this field.
What Does an USRV Technician Apprentice Do?
A USRV Technician Apprentice works in a fast-paced environment where there’s little room for error.
Our apprentices thrive on learning from our factory-trained expert mentors to examine, troubleshoot, and diagnose service and maintenance issues with:
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Class A, B and C vehicles
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Travel trailers
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Fifth wheels
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Food trucks
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Custom build-outs
*Special Note to customers and potential apprentices. USRV apprentices will only be expected to complete repairs they have been trained to do. Each USRV technician apprentice’s progress, certifications and scope of skills is tracked, and repair work is assigned based on technician qualifications.
As an USRV apprentice, you’ll be responsible for factory training, weekly classroom work and APP driven training. You will apply that knowledge with the help of your mentor to diagnose problems using facts obtained from customer complaints, proper troubleshooting pathway and factory recommended repairs or maintenance. It is the goal of each USRV apprentice to become a mentor/master USRV technician.
Your duties may include the following depending on your established skills:
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Shop maintenance tasks
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Moving RV’s using fork or driving motorhomes
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Preparing RVs for work
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Upgrades/accessory installation
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Reading and writing repair orders
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Helping your mentor by prepping for the day’s jobs and documenting work in software with narrative and photos.
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Classroom, factory, and APP based training
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Identifying parts and submitting parts requests
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*Repair and maintenance on propane gas and electric appliances (including furnaces, refrigerators, water heaters (traditional and tankless), generators and air conditioners)
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*Maintenance, installing, repairing, or replacing roofs, doors, vents, awnings, plumbing systems (sewer and fresh water), water pumps, batteries, converters/inverters, solar, satellite, internet, slide rooms, hydraulic systems, Aqua-hot and charging systems.
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Orienting new apprentice technicians to Blue Moon Mobile RV and the USRV apprentice program
* Certification required
Who’s a Good Candidate to Be an RV Technician Apprentice?
RV repair is fast paced, physically and mentally demanding work. You may be a good candidate for an apprenticeship with us if you:
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Can figure out how something works by looking at it or handling it. You probably heard your parents say “stop touching everything” a lot
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Your heart skips a beat when you see the tool truck
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Have at least a little experience working with your hands - Think maintenance work, Legos, robotics club, home improvement, skilled trades
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Are familiar with common shop tools
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Like to read manuals and figure out what makes things tick (sometimes literally)
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Want to keep your mind sharp and continue learning about things that interest you
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Are coachable – which means you can take guidance and you’re ready to learn
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Possess a work history that demonstrates you know how to be a good employee
Related: Check out available careers at Blue Moon Mobile RV here
Working Conditions as an RV Technician Apprentice
When you work as an RV Technician Apprentice, you can expect a professional, employee centric and safe workplace – that’s our obligation to you, and we take it very seriously.
Most importantly you will be joining a team of positive and hardworking individuals.
The one thing all potential hires need is a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and a nonnegotiable insistence to do the right thing.
You can expect to work indoors and outdoors in Texas weather. Sometimes this is great, sometimes it tests your metal.
You may have to drive on the lot, and you’ll typically work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Your training will be ongoing – like career-long. The level of your mastery will increase, but there is always more to learn. Standard workplace hazards that are common to RV repair shops exist, such as chemicals, biohazards, working at heights and in small places.
Our apprentices dress in several company-supplied uniform options and work in a friendly, fast-paced environment. We provide great benefits, too, including 401-k plans, medical insurance, gas allowance, cell phones, auto parts discounts and more.
What Does Blue Moon Mobile RV Expect From Its Apprentices?
We choose our apprentices very carefully because many of them continue to work with us for years after learning the trade.
We expect our apprentices to not only demonstrate the ability to be a solid employee, but to also champion their own learning while striving to add value to Blue Moon Mobile RV.
In working closely with their mentor, they will be required to perform quality and timely work, provide daily documentation, show up to work on time (every time), identify parts, test out their work after making repairs, and check out with our service manager before leaving at the end of the day.
While early on it is understood, and expected, that new pairings between apprentices and mentors may initially slow down work, it should be the goal of the apprentice to anticipate and assist the mentor to provide a return on the training to Blue Moon Mobile RV.
We also expect them to keep the workspaces clean and organized, attend, and be prepared for trainings, assist around the workplace, and maintain the required propane certification and forklift certification.
How Do We Measure Our RV Technician Apprentices’ Performance?
Each apprentice’s skills and certifications are tracked monthly on their team portal for full transparency. Many components include an automatic pay raise once classroom and hands-on goals are achieved.
Quarterly, we provide job-based performance reviews on every employee for more formal feedback. Daily, mentors will work with USRV apprentices to build skills, knowledge and provide “in the moment” feedback.
The apprentice committee meets every other month to address needs, changes, and improvements to the program. We also use this time to discuss how to better meet the needs of our apprentices.
How an Apprenticeship Works
An apprenticeship is a way for people to gain the skills they need to become experts in their fields. Employers like Blue Moon Mobile RV help develop you into a USRV Master Technician while you obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and a nationally recognized credential. You’ll earn competitive wages from day one.
Statistically, 94 percent of apprentices who complete an apprenticeship retain employment and earn higher-than-average annual salaries. Completing an apprenticeship is the best way to jump-start your career because you work and learn at the same time – and as you gain workplace-relevant skills through on-the-job training, you’re also connecting with mentors who can help you advance your career.
How Long Does it Take to Become a Technician?
Our self-paced apprenticeship program means that you largely determine how long it takes to become a technician. The amount of hands-on experience you can log varies depending on customer demand and season (there is less hands-on time in winter). But if the apprentice continues to advance on their classroom and APP trainings, they can be assigned to help on a wider variety of jobs.
Basically, the apprentice largely drives the time frame. Most of our past apprentices advance 1 level per year. We are continually working on how to teach more effectively to speed up the learning curve.
Are You Thinking About an Apprenticeship at Blue Moon Mobile RV?
If you’re considering an apprenticeship at Blue Moon Mobile RV, we’d love to talk to you. Our team may be the perfect choice for you – you’ll get the hands-on instruction and experience you need, and we’ll be there with you every step of the way. Call our office to discuss apprenticeship opportunities today.
