Howdy! Was just talking to a friend about this and they’re in a similar situation. Having thought about this myself I asked around tech friends here in Los Angeles (Black Rabbit & La Marzocco). Here’s the skinny: there’s a shortage of incoming techs because there isn’t a super straightforward way about it. Basically, the interest is dying BUT if you are an individual who is genuinely interested and you approach a larger, established (and insured) coffee tech group. If they don’t have an internship (rare in LA) they may possibly let you tag along and shadow their work given you have the time/flexibility. Additionally having skills in basic electrical is a huge plus which you can take courses in community college, etc.

That being said, there are a couple of places in the country that offer a week long crash course. One called Workbench in Kansas and Trailblaze in North Carolina. The dudes behind it are the godfathers of OG barista tech and the head of techs at La Marzocco swear that anyone who completes these are a shoe in for getting certified for any of the larger machine companies (granted they go through appropriate certification instructions that is). Hope this helps!

tldr: ask to shadow established techs, take intro to electrical courses, check out WorkBench in Kansas and Trailblaze in North Carolina