Dive Brief:
- The Pryor High School Innovation Center in Pryor, Oklahoma is leveraging Interplay Learning’s training platform to runs its new HVAC pre-apprenticeship programaccording to a statement on Tuesday.
- Participating high school students will take a semester of online courses, face-to-face training with an HVAC instructor and daily hours of practice with the school’s maintenance department.
- The initiative will help students collect US Department of Labor approved learning hours and prepare them for college OSHA-10 and EPA 608 exams to earn industry-recognized certifications, Interplay said. After graduation, students can maintain access to course materials and get personalized referrals to entry-level positions with local companies, including program sponsors, RAE Corp. and MidAmerica Industrial Park.
Diving knowledge:
The facilities management sector has been struggling with a shortage of skilled laboramid an aging workforce, early retirements and a shortage of young talent, according to a report by JLL Technologies.
In this context, apprenticeships are gaining momentum as a route to channel much-needed talent into crucial industries. Last December, the DOL proposed a rule a modernize the regulations for registered learners through measures that include the promotion of pre-learning programs and the portability of skills and occupational training.
The HVAC pre-apprenticeship program at the Pryor High School Innovation Center is “designed to take students from zero industry skills to job readiness,” Interplay Learning said in the release. It will be offered to two high school students each semester.
The Austin, Texas-based company’s platform will be used to provide students with lessons on HVAC fundamentals and safety through online and video courses, hands-on 3D troubleshooting simulations and virtual reality . These modules will help students practice soft skills and apply theoretical knowledge in real-world scenarios, Interplay Learning noted. Students will also receive face-to-face tutoring from an HVAC instructor and intern with their school’s maintenance department for three hours each day, learning to maintain and repair the school’s HVAC and electrical systems.
“This forward-thinking program sets the stage for a new era of early career education and career exposure, bridging the gap between classroom learning and real-world application,” said Interplay Learning CEO and founder Doug Donovan he said in the statement.
The program is supported by RAE Corp., which manufactures commercial and industrial cooling and refrigeration systems, and MidAmerica Industrial Park, which seeks to boost employment in the area by encouraging new businesses and helping existing ones grow, according to the release .
In February, the Biden administration announced nearly $200 million in grants to expand registered learning programs which focus on high-demand areas such as clean energy, hospitality and supply chain sectors such as logistics, warehousing, transportation and manufacturing.
