PBMA February Newsletter

The happenings since January... a month (or so) in review
January was a real whirlwind. The PBMA made visits to some important partners, attended the IBD Summit and had a blast meeting bunches of folks at CABDA. Calvin Jones from Park Tool Company set aside some time during a visit to interview PBMA President James Stanfill. If you're wondering what the PBMA is up to and want more insight we encourage you to check out the video; it covers some important topics and shares ideas of the future for mechanics and shops.
The biggest news from last month is United Bicycle Institute has joined the PBMA in leading the charge on the Certification Project. What does that mean exactly? It means that the project now has more than 30 years of institutional knowledge paired with an unmatched amount of teaching knowledge and educational history. This creates a great partnership to build the foundations of what competencies a mechanics needs at various levels of certification.
The PBMA is working daily to engage other educational providers. As we begin to form committees and teams focused on levels of certification, how to become certified and really what certified mechanic will mean we will post updates here in the newsletter and at the project link above.
Creating a certification program is no small task. For something to be successful the project must include pathways for those with no knowledge and pathways for those with vast knowledge. Additionally understanding that access to certification must be affordable. We're working diligently to create regional access points and vetting programs. Certification should not be difficult to access.
Thinking about certification let's consider the following potential benefits:
Those ideas are just a few identifiable benefits of having a standardization of some type. We are in regular contact with the industries leading insurance writer, working with them they are seeing the value in a nationally recognized certification and they are interested in seeing how this can impact individuals, shops and manufacturers. The PBMA can't emphasize the importance of being a member, being part of the conversation and having a genuine voice towards the future.
January was a real whirlwind. The PBMA made visits to some important partners, attended the IBD Summit and had a blast meeting bunches of folks at CABDA. Calvin Jones from Park Tool Company set aside some time during a visit to interview PBMA President James Stanfill. If you're wondering what the PBMA is up to and want more insight we encourage you to check out the video; it covers some important topics and shares ideas of the future for mechanics and shops.
The biggest news from last month is United Bicycle Institute has joined the PBMA in leading the charge on the Certification Project. What does that mean exactly? It means that the project now has more than 30 years of institutional knowledge paired with an unmatched amount of teaching knowledge and educational history. This creates a great partnership to build the foundations of what competencies a mechanics needs at various levels of certification.
The PBMA is working daily to engage other educational providers. As we begin to form committees and teams focused on levels of certification, how to become certified and really what certified mechanic will mean we will post updates here in the newsletter and at the project link above.
Creating a certification program is no small task. For something to be successful the project must include pathways for those with no knowledge and pathways for those with vast knowledge. Additionally understanding that access to certification must be affordable. We're working diligently to create regional access points and vetting programs. Certification should not be difficult to access.
Thinking about certification let's consider the following potential benefits:
- Reduction of liability with insurance providers
- Aids in defense with potential lawsuits
- Solidifies rationale to purchase through IBD channels
- Tangible proof of skills possessed
- Keeps skill-sets current
Those ideas are just a few identifiable benefits of having a standardization of some type. We are in regular contact with the industries leading insurance writer, working with them they are seeing the value in a nationally recognized certification and they are interested in seeing how this can impact individuals, shops and manufacturers. The PBMA can't emphasize the importance of being a member, being part of the conversation and having a genuine voice towards the future.
THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANICS ASSOCIATION'S MISSION IS TO PROMOTE, DEVELOP, AND ADVOCATE FOR THE PROFESSIONAL BICYCLE MECHANIC.