Eleven women bike technicians, along with industry partners SRAM, Shimano, RockShox, Bosch and Fox, are joining Trek and the Trek Certified Service (TCS) team at the company’s global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, this week for the first ever Women’s Expert Technician course.
This week’s six-day, scholarship-funded course is the third in a series of women’s-focused courses designed to provide growth opportunities and increase diversity within the cycling industry. In Waterloo, the 11 women will attend lectures by industry partners and Trek’s Certified Service team, as well as experience hands-on instruction in the new 2,200-square-foot TCS training facility.
The Trek Certified Service Expert Technician course is geared toward maximizing a production technician’s day-to-day abilities and work load. As the expert technician role is historically responsible for the more challenging work orders at the shop level, a minimum of three years’ experience in a high-performing service department is required for participation in the course, with prior formal training recommended.
“We’ve come to realize the alarmingly small percentage of female technicians working in IBD service departments,” said Josh Borgmeyer, Trek Certified Service Education Manager. “TCS saw a need for women’s-focused training as a way to provide a different learning environment than what’s typical in the service industry. Following completion of the course, these 11 women will play an integral part in making sure that every cyclist has a great product experience every time they ride.”
While attending the course, the women will have the opportunity to utilize Trek’s industry partners to gain first-hand and in-depth experience from the best teams available.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to bring more women into the service profession, and Trek is making a great effort to bring professionalism into our business,” said Troy Laffey, Technical Ambassador and Course Instructor for SRAM. “Service really is the future of our industry, and I’m excited for the opportunity to play a role in this course.”
The six-day course will conclude with written and practical exams that cover both mountain bike suspension and high-end road bike assembly. The women will leave the course with an Expert Technician certification.
