Certification in the News
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (print March 1) |
The cycling industry, and specifically the IBD, rely on a constant supply of professional and highly skilled mechanics. This project seeks to create a platform to encourage, educate and then certify current and future generations of professional bicycle mechanics.
July 2017 Updates
Overall Project Goals (updated January 2017)
Create a system of education that is recognized by the cycling industry as a whole.
In the present industry environment there are myriad fragmented and disconnected training opportunities for both full and partial career education paths. It is the PBMA's goal to bring all of these existing educational opportunities together under a central umbrella, in order to facilitate a standardized certification process. Having a published standard in place is the necessary first step to advance and acknowledge the individual professional's level of excellence.
Create a system by which individuals can prove their knowledge though both training and testing.
The PBMA is creating pathways to certification that take into account an individual's existing knowledge base, as well as allowing for advancement through continuing education.
This creates opportunities for certification at an affordable cost to the individual mechanic.
Create ongoing affordable education opportunities for the cycling industry with a focus on technical, professional and business knowledge.
We seek to develop regional training programs supported by our various manufacturing and educational partners, facilitated and hosted by the PBMA.
Creation of scholarship opportunities for underprivileged and/or underrepresented demographics within the cycling industry.
One of the PBMA core values is to make bicycle mechanical training and advancement available to a wider audience. The trend with many industry skills is that there are fewer trained, competent technicians, so we are working hard to allow the cycling industry remain ahead of that curve.
Create a system of education that is recognized by the cycling industry as a whole.
In the present industry environment there are myriad fragmented and disconnected training opportunities for both full and partial career education paths. It is the PBMA's goal to bring all of these existing educational opportunities together under a central umbrella, in order to facilitate a standardized certification process. Having a published standard in place is the necessary first step to advance and acknowledge the individual professional's level of excellence.
Create a system by which individuals can prove their knowledge though both training and testing.
The PBMA is creating pathways to certification that take into account an individual's existing knowledge base, as well as allowing for advancement through continuing education.
This creates opportunities for certification at an affordable cost to the individual mechanic.
Create ongoing affordable education opportunities for the cycling industry with a focus on technical, professional and business knowledge.
We seek to develop regional training programs supported by our various manufacturing and educational partners, facilitated and hosted by the PBMA.
Creation of scholarship opportunities for underprivileged and/or underrepresented demographics within the cycling industry.
One of the PBMA core values is to make bicycle mechanical training and advancement available to a wider audience. The trend with many industry skills is that there are fewer trained, competent technicians, so we are working hard to allow the cycling industry remain ahead of that curve.