HARDI has debuted new online education and branch management certification programs.

HEATU is the acronym for the Heating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Distributors International’s Education and Training University, a program with 4,000 wholesaler-focused online courses.

"We heard from our board of directors during our strategic planning session that HARDI members needed our expertise in creating position-specific curricula taking the guesswork out of the equation and empowering our members to develop their employees both strategically and efficiently,” said Emily Saving, HARDI’s director of education and research.

The program includes the new certification for branch managers, which HARDI said offers clear ways to measure performance and return on investment.

“The program is unique because it allows each branch manager to first undergo a series of assessments so the certification program is customized to his or her specific learning needs,” Saving said. “In addition, our program offers a major focus on the application of lessons learned and on creating lasting behavior change, which requires more from branch managers than simply committing training material to memory. It requires enacting changed behavior on the job.”

HARDI Executive Vice President and COO Talbot Gee said members should take advantage of the resource.

“I think our Professional Development Committee and Emily have broken the mold in distributors’ professional development strategies and resources,” Gee said. “They have developed a data-driven, results-oriented professional development infrastructure for our members that will not only develop their work force but also reap the benefits in terms of employee satisfaction, increased tenure, heightened customer service, and ultimately increased profitability.”