CONREP Seeks Instructors For 2018

NEWINGTON, CT – Are your riding skills sufficient to teach others? If you think so, have some free time and would like to earn a few bucks in the process, CONREP needs you. The Connecticut Rider Education Program has lost roughly one-third of its instructor corps over the past few years and seeks to bolster its roster in 2018.

“We’re down to 100 (instructors),” said Nick Just, who oversees CONREP for the state Department of Transportation, reporting that the program had 150 instructors as recently as three years ago. “We updated to the newest MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) curriculum two years ago and we had a lot of attrition.”

Just is looking for regular riders who “have a passion for motorcycling and safety.” Applicants must have an “M” endorsement on their driver’s license, at least a year of riding experience (2,500 miles or more), and be willing to go through roughly 100 hours of training to obtain certification.

“The training is fairly extensive. That’s where we lose most of our candidates,” Just said. “Once certified, you do have national certification.” That means the person will be able to teach in any program using the MSF curriculum in the country.

The training workshop will be held in spring 2018. After that, new instructors will be required to help teach a minimum of two courses every year. “The MSF requires two courses every two years. We’re a little more aggressive. We require two courses every year,” Just said.

The lead instructor in the class is paid $450, which includes classroom teaching, while the second instructor is paid $350. Just said pay works out to $25-30 per hour. “I could certainly use about two dozen (instructors). I’d like to be around 120, 130,” he said.

CONREP courses are taught at 12 locations across the state: In Colchester, Danielson, Groton and Norwich through Quinebaug Community College, in East Granby, Fairfield, Farmington and Stratford through Tunxis Community College, in Manchester through Manchester Community College, in North Haven through Gateway Community College, in Plainfield through the Motorcycle Safety Training Center of New England, and in Waterbury through Naugatuck Valley Community College.

To learn more and to download an application, click here.

– By Bud Wilkinson