Newtown HVAC training program graduates seven

Jonathan Baram learned about the local Chamber of Commerce's HVAC technician training program accidentally. The 27-year-old Sarasota resident, who works at Target, happened to hear about the program after his uncle read about it in a local newspaper.

"Had it not been for that, I never would have even heard of it," Baram said. "It's a free class that would normally cost $5,000 or $6,000, so 'why not?' was my thinking."

About four months after starting the training program through the workforce development offshoot of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, Baram said he feels qualified to start working in the field. He is one of the seven recent graduates of the HVAC maintenance fast-track training program, a new initiative offered through the CareerEdge Funders Collaborative, the workforce development initiative of the Sarasota Chamber.

This was the free program's first year. It was formed after Sarasota City Commissioner Willie Shaw and Argus Foundation Executive Director Christine Robinson discussed the need for more technical training in the Newtown area. They decided to focus the first training program on HVAC, because it's a growing industry and there's a lot of local interest in the field, Mireya C. Eavey, executive vice president of CareerEdge, wrote in an email. Since May, the class has met three times a week at night.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $47,610 annually in 2018, or $22.89 an hour. The field is expected to grow by 13% between 2018 and 2028, a rate that the BLS lists as much faster than average.

The industry is expected to add 46,300 jobs over that 10-year period, according to the BLS, and in 2018 there were 367,900 employees working in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installation. 

"The HVAC employers believe in apprenticeships and continuing education. We find the employers in the HVAC (industry) very committed and involved in the training and also donate equipment and materials. It’s a very competitive industry with great opportunities for career advancements with training," Eavey said.

CareerEdge worked with CoolToday to develop an HVAC maintenance program at the Roy McBean Boys & Girls Club in Newtown. The curriculum was based on modules and HandsOn training from the NexTech Academy vocational training program, and the trainer was provided by CoolToday.

Most of the funding was provided by the city of Sarasota. The National Fund for Workforce Solutions/Weinberg Foundation provided funding for CareerEdge staff time. Additional funding was provided by the Argus Foundation.

"Employers are looking for a way to recruit and rapidly train people for a very specific skill set, namely the maintenance process, and then develop these employees further over time through mentorships and apprenticeship programs," Eavey said. "CareerEdge brought employers together to determine the industry’s workforce needs and to identify the specific components of this program."

Two of the seven students are already working in the HVAC field and have received raises from the employer. The wages of one student rose from $14 to $16 per hour, Eavey said.

The graduates are Baram, Moses Bryant, Michael Clarke, Christopher Cranfill, DMitri Harris, Walter Higdon and Taylor Mitchell.

Higdon said he is thrilled to have gone through the program. He wanted to do a similar program five or so years ago, but wasn't able to complete it because of some personal issues. But now he's happy to have it under his belt.

"This is always something I wanted to do. I want to own an AC company one day. My goal is to start from here and work my way up, and to one day start my own company," he said. "You don't know how happy this is."