Apply for the QBP Women’s Bike Mechanic Scholarship
Originally posted on October 4, 2016 at 16:48 pmPress release from QBP
The Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) Women’s Bike Mechanic Scholarship Program is back for its fourth year. QBP and its sponsors are pleased to offer 16 scholarships for an all-women’s class of Professional Repair and Shop Operations at UBI.
The scholarship was created with the recognition that the bike industry needs to reach out to more women and serve them more effectively. It’s dedicated to increasing gender diversity of people on bikes by supporting the development of women working in bike shops. In its first three years of operation, over 1,600 applications were received.
“Through the scholarship program, we wish to create a stronger pipeline of diverse bicycle professionals. By increasing diversity among shop staff and ultimately bicycle companies, we believe we can grow the diversity of bike ridership in the United States. For that reason, we encourage women of color to apply” says Alix Magner, QBP Director of Sales.
The scholarship opportunity is aimed at women who are aspiring or experienced bike mechanics as well as those looking to increase their technical knowledge to further their career in the cycling industry. Recipients will receive a full tuition scholarship to attend UBI’s Professional Shop Repair and Operations Workshop. Additionally, lodging will be provided at the Ashland, Oregon campus.
Applicants must be U.S. residents who are currently employed at a bike shop in the U.S. and must be woman-identifying. QBP and partners encourage women of color and women identifying as trans, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex individuals to apply for the scholarship. Scholarship recipients must be available to attend the class from January 30–February 10, 2017.
Interested parties can apply here. Applications will be accepted from September 30, 2016 through October 31, 2016. Winners will be announced on or before January 6, 2017.