Lake Erie College (LEC) has joined forces with Trane, a provider of indoor comfort solutions and services and a brand of Ingersoll Rand to provide students the opportunity to enroll in an eleven-month HVAC training program working inside a brand new, state-of-the-art NC3 lab. The program was originally created last year as a beginner’s guide to commercial heating and cooling controls and relied on existing equipment already serving campus buildings. During the program’s successful first year, students were able to help identify and fix issues and equipment on Lake Erie’s campus. The course’s upcoming session will be the first one offered in the new Trane Lab, allowing students the unique experience of working with real-world equipment.
LEC’s President Brian Posler shared, “Although it may be a bit unusual for a liberal arts college to host a technical certification course,” this is a wonderful opportunity to complement LEC’s academic offerings with a much-needed skilled trade program, further connecting us with the communities we serve. There is a significant demand for skilled individuals in the HVAC trade, both in Northeast Ohio as well as across the United States,” said Michael Bryan, general manager, Trane Northeast Ohio. “This partnership became an immediate match as the vision of our three organisations are all aligned in driving innovation in our industry.” Trane’s sponsorship and involvement with NC3 provides an opportunity to build and maintain relationships with top leaders at community technical colleges that participate as members of NC3, a non-profit organisation, addressing the need for collaborative industry partnerships with educational institutions.
