Washington State Community College is seeking to fill a need in the growing powersports industry, which includes all-terrain vehicles and utility vehicles.

The Powersports Technician Program will allow students to have hands-on experience working on engines of motorcycles, ATVs and UTVs.

According to Joe Nutter, program director of the Auto Diesel program at WSCC, the shop will be equipped with top-of-the-line professional Snap-On Tools and students will be trained on equipment from a variety of manufacturers.

“This will be a certificate program to start and an associates program might come down the road,” Nutter said. “But right now there is nothing like this in the Mid-Ohio Valley. Students would have to travel north to Cleveland or south towards Cincinnati for training like this.”

The program at Washington State has been four years in the works, according to Nutter, and the school has gotten positive feedback from those who have expressed interest.

“In the pipeline industry, they use a lot of side-by-sides (utility vehicles) and they want to have someone on staff who is trained to repair those,” he said.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Ohio has the fifth highest employment level for these specialized mechanics.

The curriculum will emphasize basic electrical theory and components, described Nutter. Starting salary for a small engine mechanic might be about $15 an hour and could double in the next few years.

Les Wolfe, service manager for Big 4 Motorsports in Marietta, and a longtime advisory board member at Washington State, helped to bring the program to fruition after working in the industry for more than 40 years.

“What we’re seeing now is people coming out of the big powersports programs who weren’t training for the real world. What I mean by that is, they need to have the entry level experience, know the basic fundamentals and not expect they’re going to make $30 an hour right away,” he said.

With several powersports dealers in the valley, Wolfe said the jobs are available, or a student might even decide to go out on their own.

“We’re always looking for qualified technicians who want to stay in this area,” he said.

Enrollment is ongoing now with classes starting in Aug. 21. For information, new or continuing students can contact Nutter at 740-885-5664 or visit wscc.edu.

To enroll

Enrollment is currently underway with classes starting Aug. 21. For additional information on the Powersports Technician Program, new or returning students can contact Joe Nutter at 740-885-5664 or visit wscc.edu.