IC Bus recently concluded the 2017 summer semester of IC Bus University technician training by celebrating this year’s 257 graduates at the company’s Tulsa Bus Plant in Oklahoma.
Comprising of IC Bus customer technicians, the Class of 2017 represents the tenth cohort to successfully complete the company’s factory training program and join a group of more than 2,000 alumni, IC Bus says.
The IC Bus University program is a series of four one-week summer training sessions conducted at the Tulsa plant. Each session brings together school bus technicians from across North America to focus on core topics of learning that were inspired by listening to customers. In addition to receiving formal training on how to service a variety of engines, transmissions and other bus components, IC Bus says trainees also have the opportunity to network with other service technicians from across the country in order to share best practices.
“We couldn’t be prouder than we are today, in recognizing the achievements of the IC Bus University graduates of 2017,” says Trish Reed, vice president and general manager, IC Bus. “This rigorous training program ensures that IC Bus technicians are equipped with the knowledge and experience required to serve our customers in the best possible way. Their hard work reaffirms the importance of the company’s ongoing commitment to invest in technician training.”
Participants in the training voiced their appreciation for the hands-on nature of the instruction, including the opportunity to hold one-on-one conversations with members of the IC Bus team, as well as learning about key supplier components through conversations with supplier personnel. Participants also stated that conducting the training at the Tulsa plant was ideal, because of the opportunity to tour the plant, observe plant operations and better appreciate the quality and safety built into every IC Bus vehicle, the company says.
“The program’s primary goal is educating the technicians that service our bus products,” says Alan Stegich, regional manager, IC Bus. “A secondary goal is to build enthusiasm for the brand and the ongoing innovations in our product portfolio, including the company’s propane- and gas-powered buses. Beyond that, the training is a chance for technicians to learn from some of their most valuable teachers—each other.”
