Originally Posted by
speedy25
Sooooo, is any certification really worth it?
Is a customer going to get in the owners face and say "He's not going to work on my bike! He's not certified!"
There are some things that you really should have a cert, but I think most of them are a waste of money. Especially the ones where they hit you with an annual fee to renew your certification.
Best wishes on whatever new venture you may try.
-SP
I think it all depends on the shop. And, perhaps if you have a good mechanic to intern with.
Some shops might post "XYZ Certified Mechanics" on the door... but most probably don't care. Experience, of course is good, and the certification might help you get into the door, where the experience really begins.
Our local co-op has a younger "mechanic" that had recently taken some kind of a training course. She is pretty good with some things, but learning a lot on the job. So, expect that a 2 week course would be just barely enough to get your feet wet.
A couple of weeks of welding? In general, few shops would let you show off your welding expertise unless you get into manufacturing.