The industry-supported, 2009 HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop, held March 11-13 at the National Conference Center, Lansdowne, VA, saw a 14th straight year of strong attendance, diverse support from the entire HVACR and plumbing industries, and well-received educational and personal growth opportunities.
With an educational and informational focus on “Leading the Industry to a Greener Future,” featured an opening panel session, “How Green is Changing the Way We Train Future Technicians,” as well as two full days of additional green training topics for HVACR and plumbing instructors. Topics ranged from evergreen motors, to teaching customer service skills, to how to plan your AC&R labs for future refrigerants. In addition to education and skills enhancement, the workshop also provided ample opportunities for trainers and instructors to network with fellow instructors, industry associations, and manufacturers.
More than 50 exhibitors provided attendees with practical information on a variety of topics and technology updates.
Developed from collaborative efforts and support of eight organizations across the HVACR and plumbing industry spectrum, the HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop continues to be the only event designed specifically by the industry for educators and administrators.
Two major industry awards were presented during the Workshop, reflecting the true industry scope of the event. CONTRACTOR Magazine presented its prestigious Plumbing Instructor of the Year award to John Powers of UA Local 690 in Philadelphia.
Warren Lupson, AHRI’s director of education and chair of the 2009 workshop, commented on the diverse input received from a strong cadre of instructors and industry professionals.
“The workshop once again offered an excellent opportunity for HVACR and plumbing program instructors, along with other industry professionals, to learn about the latest industry issues and instructional techniques while gaining access to industry experts,” Lupson says.
Plumbing and HVACR instructors were instrumental in identifying topics and speakers most beneficial to their professional development at the recently completed Workshop. Lupson said “the beauty of this program is that past participants provide great insight into designing the next program. They tell us what they need and want to learn, both in technical and instructional techniques and we work to accommodate those requests,” adds Lupson.
“For example, in planning the 2009 workshop, we heard from our core audience that incorporating the ‘green movement’ into their classroom and into the overall administration of their programs was of prime importance. Those of us who design the program do so with the guidance of those who will benefit from it, particularly from the members of the Council of Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Educators (CARE), who are a significant pillar of the workshop.”
The HVACR & Plumbing Instructor Workshop is an industry-driven event that provides instructors and administrators of apprentice and secondary/post secondary school-based instructional programs with technical information and teaching techniques that will enable them to effectively train the next generation of skilled workers for the plumbing and HVACR industries.
The 2009 workshop was jointly developed and sponsored by Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA); Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Institute (AHRI); CARE; Heating, Airconditioning, and Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI); North American Technicians Excellence (NATE); Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC) Educational Foundation; Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES); and SkillsUSA.