Investing In The Future of HVAC – Part 2
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PART II: This article is a continuation of the previous article titled “Investing In The Future of HVAC”. As was previously discussed, we all know that finding qualified HVAC technicians is getting harder all the time. RightTek HVAC Training, in partnership with the local Johnstone Supply store decided that not meeting the needs of this growing industry with trained technicians was not acceptable. A six–week Bootcamp style course was developed to produce a junior-level service technician, ready to enter the workforce. This issue is going to focus on the Week II curriculum, and about one student who took a leap of faith to better his life with a promising career when he entered the classroom doors earlier this year.
WEEK TWO
Week Two continued with a full class of both local and out-of-state students. To reinforce the “Boot Camp“ method of learning, everything taught in Week One was repeated, but this time the pace was quickened, and the knowledge base was expanded. To fortify the understanding of the basic refrigeration cycle, students participated in an interactive classroom environment that included daily quizzes, game show–style drills on an individual and team basis, and constant hands-on lab exercises throughout the day. By Week II, students were starting to show confidence; they could take the refrigeration cycle from a PowerPoint slide and trace out all the components on the live units. Each time this exercise occurred, the student’s confidence grew and their understanding of how the individual components worked collectively on every unit within the classroom deepened.
Additional hands-on lab exercises included properly installing pressure gauges/hoses both on and off the units, familiarization with Recovery Tanks & Refrigerant Scales and how to properly operate a Refrigerant Recovery Machine during the recovery process. During all lab exercises, the students were consistently exposed to how the EPA 608 requirements are applied to all the steps of a recovery procedure in preparation for their certification exam that would be administered the following week. Other Week II material included in-depth familiarization of electrical components to include transformers, capacitors, contractors, relays and the inner workings of a thermostat, including proper wiring and setup configurations. The classroom lectures continued with system & component theory and EPA 608 certification test preparations with numerous practice quizzes.
Meet One of Our Students
Michael Mahan came to the first day of Bootcamp as a residential HVAC installer with no experience as a service
technician. To promote from a field installer to a service technician, Michael knew he would need to attain instruction and experience and the 6-Week Bootcamp was going to be the ticket. Michael showed up the first day of class ready to absorb all the knowledge and experience the course would offer and he continued that trend throughout the entire course. Always the first student to arrive in the morning and last to leave, Michael would only head home after every question he had for that day was answered. When Michael completed the course, he was recognized as the Hardest Working/Most Improved Student. Upon graduation, Michael was promoted from installer to service technician that same week and was gifted a new set of digital gauges by his employer for a job well done. Within a few short months, he was further promoted to the role of Service Manager for his company. When we last caught up with Michael, he shared with us that his pay had increased significantly with his new role, and that he was able to replace his 20-year old truck and upgrade to a 2019 Chevrolet Silverado. Michael contributes his success to the formal lectures, repetitive lab exercises and troubleshooting skills as the key to his ability to grasp and fully understand the knowledge needed to excel in this industry. In his own words, “this class has made the difference to where I am today, and I feel fortunate to have been a part of it”.
NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE
In next month’s issue we will showcase the topics taught in Week III and we look forward to sharing with you how this innovative program is changing lives, as we share with you another student’s story.
(This article is Part Two of a Six–Part Series)
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RightTek HVAC Training LLC was founded by Anthony Maynor and Bill Timberlake to promote “Real-World” HVAC Training to those who want to excel in the trade. Anthony spent over 25 years in the field as a successful Trane Dealer and teaching various HVAC licensing preparatory classes throughout North Carolina. Bill spent many years as a senior instructor teaching HVAC courses at a large community college after a 24-year military career as a mechanical engineer. The widespread knowledge base that RightTek brings to the classroom is second to none with a spread of hands-on and classroom experience seldom seen in this industry. [Visit righttekhvac.com for additional information.]
- Investing in the Future of HVAC – Part 6 - July 27, 2020
- Investing In The Future of HVAC – Part 5 - June 30, 2020
- Investing In The Future of HVAC – Part 4 - June 10, 2020
