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Opportunity

A Free Skills Program Is Training Veterans and Transitioning Soldiers for HVAC Careers The HVAC industry itself, like many skilled trades, is experiencing a huge labor shortage to the tune of 122,000 skilled technicians. That shortage creates an employment opportunity for transitioning service members, veterans and for employers, a sentiment echoed by Bill Timberlake and Anthony Maynor, partners at Raleigh, North Carolina's RightTek HVAC Training. "It comes with a starting salary of around $45,000, without a college degree," Timberlake tells Military.com. "Then you realize within two years, most technicians with overtime and bonuses can earn $80-90,000. That's good work for good money." Timberlake has been in the HVAC sector for nearly 30 years. He got his start after enlisting in the Navy. He attended the University of Maryland to study mechanical engineering before returning to the Navy as an officer in the Corps of Engineers. He even taught at the U.S. Naval Academy before retiring in 2004. Maynor didn't serve in the military. He has worked in HVAC for most of his adult life, running his own HVAC business for more than two decades and becoming a well-known figure in Raleigh. The pair both trained students at a local college before they got together in 2018 and founded the RightTek Training school. RightTek Training is unique in that it distills the yearlong training program from the local college into a two month course. In 2021 Maynor and Timberlake saw an opportunity to get the school onto nearby Fort Bragg, which wanted an HVAC training program as part of the Army's Career Skills Program. Trane now provides equipment to the students as well as after-hours access to Trane's internal Learning Management Systems training programs and online learning modules. "Trane is interested in doing the right thing by our veterans," says Dottie Goebel, a Dealer Experience Manager at Trane Residential. "Nothing made a better fit for our dealers who are desperately seeking technicians and installers. The industry shortage for technicians and installers is growing every year as people are retiring and no group is more deserving than our veterans." Trane also ensures that there are no out-of-pocket costs for soldiers looking to learn HVAC through the Trade Warriors program. The cost of attendance is covered by HVAC dealers who hire the program's graduates, which has a nearly 100% job placement rate. Potential students do not need mechanical engineering or previous HVAC experience to apply. By the 2nd or 3rd week of the program, soldiers will be interviewing for jobs, contingent on completion of the program and separation from the military. Soldiers then become Trane Certified Technicians after passing the EPA (EPA608) and NATE Ready-to-Work exams at the end of the program.

This is my third article in a series on developments in the #naval and #commercialmaritime #training community. Forming an outline for a fourth article. Reach out to me at <[email protected]> with your thoughts and suggestions on the next step. Marty Kauchak, editor and author

Uncover the future of naval maintenance with Jeffrey Abt's insights on the synergy of pulsed eddy current array with inspection crawlers, as featured by ASNT (The American Society for Nondestructive Testing). https://hubs.la/Q02p5dJq0 #EddyfiTechnologies #VersaTrax #PECA #BeyondCurrent

It's Memorial Day. And while we are thinking back on those who have served and are serving our nation, it's also a good day to think about what Long Island contributes to our national defense in terms of manufacturing capabilities and innovation. In fact, there are roughly 300 manufacturing companies on the island engaged in United States Department of Defense contracts. However, much more needs to be done to move the needle forward throughout the nation. After decades of manufacturing outsourcing that allowed producers to produce more cheaply and improve their bottom lines, as the saying goes, "Houston, we have a problem". Nowhere is this more obvious than in defense. The U.S. Navy Submarine Industrial Base Council (SIBC) has a big production problem, to the tune of 10,000 new skilled workers a year for the next decade to both maintain and build the next generation of submarines. We're talking about the Virginia and Columbia class vessels. Long Island has been honored to become a part of this new workforce challenge and, with the support of the New York Talent Pipeline program and the BlueForge Alliance, has already engaged with local manufacturers including GSE DYNAMICS, INC., CPI Aerostructures, East/West Industries Inc., USA, Curtiss-Wright Corporation, SDP/SI Mechanical Components, QTC Metric Gears, QBC Bearings - Designatronics, and more to recruit a new generation of machinists, welders, electrical workers in a focused efforts to expand our capacity. So, hats off to all these companies locally and throughout the Talent Pipeline sites nationally that contribute in their own, hugely important way. #workforce #skills #manufacturing #defense #apprenticeship

Experience as a naval weapons engineering technician transfers over to the tech industry. I learnt this after making the switch three years ago. Let me explain how it transfers. As a naval technician, I acquired effective communication skills and deep knowledge of various ship systems. I developed these skills through technical presentations on the ship's equipment and through various walkthroughs. My skills transfer to the tech industry, where learning about complicated systems is required. Furthermore, the tech industry needs effective communicators who understand the technical side and can translate it for other departments. My military experience has prepared me to do these things. If you'd like to read more about my thoughts on this, I wrote a series of posts about better showcasing my experience as a technician in the Royal Canadian Navy. It is split into three parts: - Continuing learning - Troubleshooting, testing, maintenance, modification - Technical presentations and walkthroughs This post discusses point three in more depth: https://lnkd.in/e6hTyV7s What do you think about the transferable experience between careers? Let me know in the comments.

Our similar strategy for the maritime domain is designed to help Navy increase operational capability through more effective training. Please reach out if you would like to be part of this conversation? #defencecapability #navy #defencetraining #defence #defenceindustry

Addressing Letters to Recruits Be sure to properly address letters to your recruit so they arrive as quickly as possible. Read more at MPBOD.com/294 During the first two weeks of recruit training, recruits will send home a letter stating they've made it to MCRD and will provide an address for which to receive mail. All mail is routed through the only mail office on the depot. Your mail will not reach your recruit without the correct COMPANY AND PLATOON NUMBER. The mail office will see that information and sort the mail to that company and platoon. The company and platoon information will be listed on the letter your recruit sends home about 2 - 3 weeks into training. Learn about addressing letters at RecruitParents.com! https://lnkd.in/gMSgkz5G