That was how executive vice president Robb Isaacs described the trade association that has enjoyed its strongest times when specific issues drew much of the industry's attention. In his address to delegates at a business meeting during the 68th Annual Conference and HVACR Technology Expo in Atlanta, Isaacs looked back more than 20 years to heat pump certification and CFC certification as issues that RSES became closely involved with, and which resulted in strong membership numbers.
The current focus is the society's alignment with North American Technician Excellence (NATE). With NATE offering testing that leads to certification in a growing number of specific areas of HVACR, Isaacs said RSES has positioned itself as a training organization that can prepare technicians to take the tests.
"We are the trainers. Every chapter in RSES should be doing NATE training," he said. Isaacs told chapter leaders to "raise the expectations of your people to meet the challenges of today's modern equipment."
Apprentice Program
Isaacs also told members about the development of a four-year apprentice program that has been submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor for approval. He said the program, which can be offered by chapters, states, and regions within RSES and by contractors and schools, provides three years of textbook study and a fourth-year "cafeteria" option geared to the needs of specific geographical areas.He said, "RSES is offering the educational side of an apprentice program. Someone who might be in another line of work can take this program and then say to a contractor, ‘I have my four years of education. Can you give me the on-the-job training?'"
In response to comments from attendees, Isaacs said RSES would continue to pursue its efforts to get high school counselors to be more encouraging about the trades. He also said the trade association would draw attention to its ability to serve all aspects of the industry by describing itself as "RSES: The HVACR Training Authority."
Society Matters
RSES announced that Isaacs would retire in June 2006, setting the stage for a search for a new chief executive for the society.Delegates elected Ronald McCarthy from St. John, Newfoundland, Canada - a retiring wholesaler with Kerr Controls - as its international president. He will serve in that capacity until the next International Conference, also slated to be held in Atlanta, Oct. 4-7, 2006.
Member of the Year honors went to Nick Reggi of Toronto, who is program coordinator and professor at Humber Institute of Technology. Speaker of the Year was Kenneth Goetz of Binghamton, N.Y., who is with wholesaler Northrup Supply.
Publication date: 11/21/2005
