Case Study: Collinsville Area Vocational Center builds an HVAC talent pipeline with Trane Commercial

Industry Education Effort Supports HVAC Talent Pipeline

The Collinsville Area Vocational Center faced a significant shortage of skilled HVAC labor in its community, a challenge that aligned with statewide projections for growing demand in that field. Trane Commercial, through its Comprehensive Solutions account executive and Industry and Educational Programming team, helped convene a collaborative group of local leaders and educators to address this workforce development need.

Trane's solution involved helping to secure a $25 million state grant for the vocational center's expansion by presenting to the Illinois State Board of Education and by providing a benchmark tour of a Trane/NC3 partner lab. The vendor also helped define the program's baseline skills and aligned it with industry needs through its partnership with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3). The result was a new, fully enrolled HVAC program serving 40 students per semester, which will offer multiple certifications including EPA and OSHA-10, creating a direct-to-career pipeline for graduates.

Collinsville Area Vocational Center