Mount Washington Valley Career and Technical Center in North Conway is helping students get certified in bike tech, wilderness first aid and other skills needed for the field.
Virginia Schrader, the director of the career and technical education center, plans to expand it into a larger program this fall. One of the goals, Schrader says, is to give students industry-recognized certifications in a range of recreation activities. Tourists flock to the local mountains for skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking, as well as hiking, snowmobiling and river trips. Many of the ski resorts, Schrader says, want to stop relying on a “hodgepodge” of seasonal staff and hire year-round employees who can fix mountain bikes in the summer and make snow in the winter.