Project Bike Tech educating students for a bike mechanic career

Project Bike Tech (PBT) is a non-profit specializing in educating high school students on bike mechanic skills and provide career preparation training. As they move forward into their 10-year anniversary they are expanding their educational program to Colorado.

Currently, Project Bike Tech is operating in multiple California schools and this move to Colorado expands PBT to a national level and sets the stage to innovate program offerings to include college-credit eligible programs and an emphasis on math and science by bike design.

Originally the program was founded as a 4-semester Career Technical Education class, and PBT has already successfully launched young people into careers within the bicycle industry. Preparing young people with bike mechanical skills is an important component of a future career within the bicycle industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for bicycle repair jobs is forecast to grow nationally by 29.3 % by 2026 leading to a significant shortage of bike mechanics as cycling emerges as a critical component of urban transportation planning.

According to Mercedes Ross, PBT’s Executive Director, “Nationally, demand for bicycle technicians is expanding rapidly. Students in our classes are exposed to an immersive educational experience centered around bicycle mechanics while learning key life skills like resume writing, job interview techniques, and teamwork.” The PBT curriculum also encompasses other core academic principles like mathematics, physics, and engineering that fit in with more traditional academic concepts. “We’ve created a hands-on class that can not only produce graduates who are primed for a position in a bike shop right away, but also exposes our students to a myriad of career opportunities in the bicycle and outdoor industries,” added Ms. Ross.

You can find more information about Project Bike Tech on their website here.