Training is for dogs, dancing bears, and little kids who crap in their pants. Is that the way we think of apprentices? Maybe that’s the real problem.

HVAC contractors, especially those in the residential installation and service market, really have to pay special attention to how their technicians interact with customers. One bad experience could terminate a potential long-term customer-contractor relationship.

Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, Florida, has become a de facto testing ground for a unique student training program that Direct Energy plans to roll out nationwide over the course of 2016.

Lupson is well-known in the industry for his work promoting HVACR education and certification and for his devotion to industry workforce development. The organization has not yet named his successor.

Many manufacturers have developed their own programs in order to train and educate contractors and technicians on their products. And, within those programs, many manufacturers place a high priority on safety education.

The Paul B. Reed Award is presented to RSES chapters that have developed exceptional educational programs, and the Greater Detroit Chapter received this award in the Large Chapter category. 

By expanding its offerings and locations, administrators at Blackhawk Technical College are hoping to increase the number of qualified technicians, as well. In August 2014, the college moved its two-year HVAC program, as well as other manufacturing programs, into a new 105,000-square-foot facility, which is situated away from the school’s central campus.