Penn Foster Workforce Development

[t.c.mitchell]

Has anyone ever taken the motorcycle repair technican program from Penn Foster? am in the army and can get it free. was wondering about the quality? any ideas? suggestions?

[The CyberPoet]

Never even heard of it (Penn Foster?). What you might want to do is seriously look at their post-graduation placement record, what's available in that niche of the market and what job prospects look like. Right now, the MC-repair field (at least in most areas) is awash with skilled mechanics because dealerships are closing like flies during the recession, so you'd be competing for jobs against guys with 5, 10, 15 years shop-time under their belts. Unless you come out with a specialization in a marque brand (say BMW or Ducati), you're likely to have a very, very hard time finding a job in the current market.

The other side of the decision is long-term income potential. All the MC mechanics I know who don't own their own operations make pretty much about the same $$ they made a decade ago (plus a little for inflation). That means their income stayed roughly the same, and in some cases, because cost-of-living outpaced raises, actually effectively make less.

The only guys I know who are raking in the big bucks in the mechanics field specialized in heavy diesel engines and work for major firms with high-margins that have very, very low turn-over rates (example: Kenny D, an old wrenching friend of mine from high school, now rakes in 6-figures as a beer-truck mechanic for the local budweiser distributor after being there 12+ years -- about 78k is wages & profit-sharing, and the other half is dividends on the stock-shares for the company he's collected over the years as bonuses & employee stock-options).

Meanwhile, IMHO:
You have military ed benefits, go to the best school you can manage, and take something that will set you up for life (bachelor's, master's if you're smart enough to complete all the requirements for the master's before you actually graduate with the bachelor's), then consider whether you still want to be a bike mechanic -- that way you have a fall-back in a totally different field if you ever get injured or can't find work as a bike wrench... Depending on the degree, it may also let you go from spinning wrenches to being the service manager, or store manager for a shop, and then conceivably owning your own shop.
Also: While attending school, start your own firm doing whatever it is that you love. If it's not profitable, you don't sweat it because you've got the military ed $$ coming in; if it is profitable, by the time you leave school, you'll have a full blown firm that you own.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[t.c.mitchell]

part of the problem i run into is i need the programs to be online. i already have a bachelor's degree. any since i am going to be around military posts for at least the next 4 years, i could bring in some extra $$ and have some fun on mine. for many years, have truly considered getting an auto tech degree and being a mechanic. i love working on cars and now my bike. so i thought if i had the certification for both, that would help my market ability if i decided to come out in 4 years.

[Chilli99katana]

I'm taking the Penn Foster courses, mostly so I can do repairs myself, not really to get a job. I am about 1/2 into the course, learned alot with the course along with little knowledge of motorcycles I have by tearing into my kat. I am very comfortable right now with basic repairs and basic maintenance, and I am ok with repairs that are a little more complex. Can't tear into the engine yet, but I am pretty confident that I will be able to eventually.

As much as I would love to, being married and not living in Florida makes it hard to go to a professional school like Wyotech or MMI. Some of the professional mechanics I know aren't mechanics because of the money, the guys I know eat, sleep and breathe motorcycles and atvs.

PM me if you have any questions about it.

By the way, I was in the military too, so I know what you mean about only being able to take online courses. The Penn Foster program is good because you can take the books with you and study, and take the exams online when you are ready.

[t.c.mitchell]

chilli, you said you are about 1/2 finished. how long has it taken you? and it isn't som much for an actual job. mainly for myself and since i will be around army posts for the next 4 years at least, i will have always motorcycles in the neighborhood and i can service them and make a little money on the side. i don't think i will come out of the army and go into being ab bike mechanic. but hey you never know...

[Chilli99katana]

Maybe half way is a bit of a stretch, but I am a little ways into the course. The first couple of books are about safety, tools, and engine configurations. I do it on my spare time, which hasn't been very often lately. But you do have something like a year and a half to do the entire course.

[Jon2288]

Never even heard of it (Penn Foster?). What you might want to do is seriously look at their post-graduation placement record, what's available in that niche of the market and what job prospects look like. Right now, the MC-repair field (at least in most areas) is awash with skilled mechanics because dealerships are closing like flies during the recession, so you'd be competing for jobs against guys with 5, 10, 15 years shop-time under their belts. Unless you come out with a specialization in a marque brand (say BMW or Ducati), you're likely to have a very, very hard time finding a job in the current market.

The other side of the decision is long-term income potential. All the MC mechanics I know who don't own their own operations make pretty much about the same $$ they made a decade ago (plus a little for inflation). That means their income stayed roughly the same, and in some cases, because cost-of-living outpaced raises, actually effectively make less.

The only guys I know who are raking in the big bucks in the mechanics field specialized in heavy diesel engines and work for major firms with high-margins that have very, very low turn-over rates (example: Kenny D, an old wrenching friend of mine from high school, now rakes in 6-figures as a beer-truck mechanic for the local budweiser distributor after being there 12+ years -- about 78k is wages & profit-sharing, and the other half is dividends on the stock-shares for the company he's collected over the years as bonuses & employee stock-options).

Meanwhile, IMHO:
You have military ed benefits, go to the best school you can manage, and take something that will set you up for life (bachelor's, master's if you're smart enough to complete all the requirements for the master's before you actually graduate with the bachelor's), then consider whether you still want to be a bike mechanic -- that way you have a fall-back in a totally different field if you ever get injured or can't find work as a bike wrench... Depending on the degree, it may also let you go from spinning wrenches to being the service manager, or store manager for a shop, and then conceivably owning your own shop.
Also: While attending school, start your own firm doing whatever it is that you love. If it's not profitable, you don't sweat it because you've got the military ed $$ coming in; if it is profitable, by the time you leave school, you'll have a full blown firm that you own.

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

Damn, cyberpoet knows his stuff, that is some good advice!! Even if this was not advice that you can necessarily use at the moment, it is good to take note there are some life lessons in there.

I would like to hear your "state of the union" address cyberpoet!