Starting National Trade Academy
September 2019 – With 90 years of experience in HVAC, National Heating and Air Conditioning has seen many changes in the business. With the advent of computers, not only did the business change dramatically, but the skill set required for the many technicians involved in the process of providing heat and air conditioning changed as well.
“The lack of trained personnel to do the work required,” Scott Braun, President of National Heating and Air Conditioning commented, “is perhaps the most critical issue facing our business today.”
Nationwide, over 3 million trade jobs in such areas as HVAC, electric, and plumbing are currently open. And the numbers keep growing.
“We just couldn’t sit back and wait for the people to come to us,” Rob Bynum, Operations Manager of National Heating and Air Conditioning explained. “We felt we had the leadership, the drive, and the energy to create our own Academy and we knew we would be helping the industry overall by training future technicians that all of us are desperately seeking.”
Therefore, the National Trade Academy was launched in April of 2019 in the newly renovated 7500 square foot facility on Creek Road in Blue Ash (OH). Fifty bays in the lab were outfitted and designed so that each student will have hands-on training that is so essential for learning a trade. In addition, a classroom was designed to provide students with a traditional learning experience as well.
“Some of our classes will also be supplemented with video courses,” said Tom Gray, Lead Instructor for National Trade Academy. “This way, the students can access these online at home and review what they learned in the classroom or on the floor or in the lab.”
“Our overall goal is to increase the number of highly trained personnel, train them in a more efficient and timely manner, and provide opportunities to men and women that might be looking for new career options,” Braun continued. “I want to spread the word that being in the trade world is great place to live and work. I have lived and worked in HVAC, my father did before me, and his father did before him. We have raised families, taken vacations, given to charities, and supported our communities. I’d love to see more people enjoying life as a tradesperson.”