PPATEC September 2024 program graduates enter workforce

September 23, 2024 By    
The September 2024 graduates of the PPATEC HVAC & Energy Professional Program celebrate their graduation. (Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association)

The September 2024 graduates of the PPATEC HVAC & Energy Professional Program celebrate their graduation. (Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association)

Fourteen students graduated from the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association Technical Education Center (PPATEC) HVAC & Energy Professional Program.

PPATEC held a graduation ceremony Sept. 13. The event featured spouses, parents, grandparents and employers present to celebrate the students’ achievements as well as acknowledge their new career choice.

The September 2024 HVAC & Energy Professional Program graduates are:

  • Anthony Morales (Pottsville, Schuylkill County)
  • Christopher Falbo (Shippensburg, Cumberland County)
  • Devon Spadt (Palmerton, Carbon County)
  • Dominic Cruz (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Dywan Blanding (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Jaionne Miller (Lemoyne, Cumberland County)
  • Josh Shore (Dover, York County)
  • Juan Harris (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Man Singh Magar (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Marquan Whiting (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Michael Mooney (New Oxford, Adams County)
  • Pupsa Kafle (Harrisburg, Dauphin County)
  • Tate Petrides (Aspers, Adams County)
  • Walker Martin (East Earl, Lancaster County)

Six of the 14 graduates were $3,000 recipients of the Robert V. Boltz Scholarship Foundation.

The following students will enter the workforce upon graduation:

  • Anthony Morales (accepted a position with Rick’s Refrigeration & Heating prior to graduation)
  • Devon Spadt (enrolled as an employee of RF Ohl while attending the program)
  • Dominic Cruz (accepted a position with Home Climates prior to graduation)
  • Dywan Blanding (accepted a position with HL Bowman prior to graduation)
  • Juan Harris (accepted a position with Suburban Propane prior to graduation)
  • Michael Mooney (accepted a position with Suburban Propane prior to graduation)
  • Tate Petrides (accepted a position with Zimmerman Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning prior to graduation)
  • Walker Martin (accepted a position with Kauffman Gas prior to graduation)

PPATEC, an arm of the Pennsylvania Petroleum Association (PPA), offers hands-on technical training solutions for the HVAC and energy industry. The PPA is a not-for-profit trade association representing more than 450 energy stakeholders. PPATEC is a postsecondary entry-level career training institution licensed by the State Board of Private Licensing Schools and is approved by Veterans Affairs (VA) to accept GI Bill benefits.

In 2022, PPATEC launched its HVAC & Energy Professional Program, a 10-week, hands-on curriculum tailored to provide the skills needed to secure a job in the HVAC and energy industry. Since then, graduates of the program have routinely enjoyed multiple employment offers, often graduating on a Friday and going into a new career the following Monday.

According to Ted Harris, PPATEC’s executive vice president, there is a statewide shortage of more than 2,000 HVAC and energy technicians – jobs with an average annual salary well above $50,000. PPATEC created its entry-level training program to help PPA members fill that pressing need.

“We’re glad to play a role in preparing these – and other – young men and women for family-sustaining careers in an in-demand field,” says Harris.

Candidates have multiple opportunities for financial support. Veterans can use GI Bill benefits to defray the cost of the program. PPATEC also routinely offers scholarships to candidates. In addition, PPA members have an opportunity to sponsor a candidate entering the program.

About the Author:

Chris Markham is the managing editor of LP Gas Magazine. Contact him at cmarkham@northcoastmedia.net or 216-363-7920.

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