KLAMATH FALLS — Klamath Community College’s Apprenticeship Center was recently awarded a $338,395 Energy Efficiency Training Grant from the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to expand the growth of the college’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program.
KCC’s newly established HVAC technician training program has been on campus for a little over a year. This two-year grant will cover tuition and other costs to help students incur minimal debt, and provides for an additional instructor to assist in the growth of the program.
“I’m really excited about it,” said KCC Director of Apprenticeship Programs Mark Griffith. “Our goal is to make sure we are training the next generation of technicians as best as we possibly can. It is another incentive for our employers to participate in teaching an apprentice.”
The key of the program is for 30 students to receive instruction, hands-on skills training, and earn industry-recognized certifications in preparation for employment and entry into a registered apprenticeship in the industry. Through the ODOE grant, students will also gain knowledge about home energy efficiency resources and state incentives for consumers.
Job counseling and placement services through the KCC Career Services Center will be provided for the students, as well as industry-specific tools and personal protection equipment to use in course labs and on the job.
“We are teaching installation technicians,” Griffith said of the program. “It is hands-on, troubleshooting work all in a lab and classroom setting. We offer Environmental Protection Agency-backed refrigeration certification, which is a must-have for any HVAC technician. The other part of the program is the low voltage Class B electrical certification students obtain in the first two years of their training. That is invaluable to them and their employers.”
The KCC HVAC program started on campus last spring. The ODOE grant project will assist in recruiting additional students and contractor firms.
Local contractor firms currently participating in the KCC registered apprenticeship program include:
- Seasons Change HVAC Contractors
- United Mechanical Contractors
- Bliss Heating & Air Conditioning
- Bob Hall’s Heat & Air
- Klamath County
“We recognized some time ago that KCC needed an HVAC program,” said Matt Johnson of Seasons Change contractors and also board chairman for the apprenticeship council at the college.
“The labor gap was a real thing. We were losing talent to retirements and not bringing talent back in. We want to let our community, including high school students know that there is a apprenticeship and trades option in the HVAC industry that includes good paying jobs.”
HVAC technology used to change on average 10 years, according to Johnson. “Today it is changing every 10 months. Students have to learn, adapt and grow quickly. It is a journey you’ll be learning every day on the job, the rest of your life. At KCC we instill that learning.”
The next step for the developing the KCC program is sheet metal fabrication, a key part of HVAC installation.
“That will be another leg of the program, and it will also be its own study discipline,” Griffith said. “This is the latest example of how KCC continues to grow apprenticeships and trades for our community.”
For more information about KCC and its programs, visit www.klamathcc.edu.
