Strong Workforce Program Honors San Diego City College
Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Program
San Diego, CA – August 15, 2017 - San Diego City College’s Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) program earned a Strong Workforce Star in the Energy, Construction & Utilities sector. The Strong Workforce Stars award is an output of the California Community College’s Strong Workforce Program, an annual recurring investment of $200 million to spur career education throughout the state.
Strong Workforce Stars recognize outstanding career education programs, also known as career technical education, whose students show significant gains in factors important for advancing social mobility, specifically a substantial increase in earnings, attainment of a living wage and a job closely matched with the field of study.
The goal of the Strong Workforce Program is to create a job-ready workforce for employers and to lift the salaries of low-wage workers.
The City College HVAC program is well known in the industry for providing skilled workers in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning field. More than 90 percent of students who participate in this program get a job in their field of study. HVAC Lab Technician Byron Morgan shared, “If you are dedicated and motivated, you can be working in one semester. The field is wide open across the country.”
City College HVAC students work in businesses throughout the region, including Anderson Heating and Plumbing, ASI, Pacific Refrigeration, Air Plus, A.O. Reed, and Jackson and Blanc.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median pay for HVAC mechanic and installers is nearly $46,000 a year or more than $22 dollars an hour. Employment of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is projected to grow 14 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. Employees with computers and electronics knowledge and those with good troubleshooting skills have the best job opportunities as employers continue to have difficulty finding qualified technicians to install, maintain, and repair complex new systems.
“Providing the skills needed to obtain a good paying job or to advance in a chosen career is the focus of our career education program”, shared Ricky Shabazz, president of San Diego City College. “Receiving recognition for providing gainful employment opportunities is rewarding for our hard working instructors and students.”
City College has 200 degree and certificate programs, including more than 25 career education programs, such as: Biotechnology, Child Development, Community Health Worker, Computer Programming, Cosmetology, Electricity, Graphic Design, Manufacturing Engineering, Machine Technology, Nursing, Photography, and Theatrical Makeup.
About San Diego City College: Founded in 1914, San Diego City College celebrated its 100th Anniversary in 2014. Serving as the educational cornerstone of downtown San Diego, City College offers 200 degrees and certificates, and more than 1,600 classes. City College is part of the San Diego Community College District, comprised of City College, Mesa College, Miramar College, and Continuing Education. For more information, visit: www.sdcity.edu. For graduation information: www.sdcity.edu/graduation.