When a successful family owned business grows, it needs to keep an eye on the future to ensure customers receive the best service and most knowledgeable technicians. To keep and recruit top people is never easy — especially now as the HVAC service industry heads into a labor shortage.
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts job openings in skilled trades between 2016 and 2021 will outpace the supply of workers by three to one.
Rather than simply attempt to recruit established HVAC installers and technicians from other companies, we at Central have created our own “Central Cooling Academy.” And everyone at Central Cooling & Heating is proud to introduce the newest member to our family: 20-year-old Stefano Zarro of Woburn, the first graduate from our Academy’s eight-week, one-on-one technical training program.
“Stefano had no experience in HVAC. Our in-house, paid training program prepared him to go out on his own as a maintenance technician,” said Rich Lavoie, general manager at Central Cooling.
To establish our own school, long-time Central Cooling service manager Phil King stepped up to become the lead HVAC trainer. Phil already has a wealth of experience mentoring newer employees at the company. And, he’s not afraid to remind our general manager, Rich Lavoie, that he trained him as a young tech some 30 years ago!
Looking back on the last 50 years, one of our company’s most successful strategies has been to keep an eye on the next generation. The reason Central is on Contracting Business magazine’s list of Top 25 HVAC leaders in the U.S., has won Carrier’s President’s Award five times, received the Better Business Bureau’s award for 30 Years of Outstanding Integrity and Service— to name a few accolades—starts with finding people who are willing to learn a skill and matching them with an expert willing to teach.
By formalizing the mentoring spirit that grows our company year after year, Central positions itself with leading Boston-area employers who want to attract top talent by providing training or scholarships to technical schools.
As always, Central is committed to offering competitive benefits to attract and retain employees dedicated to our customers, which is why our training program comes with a paycheck.
“Stefano is well on his way to a great career as an HVAC technician and beyond,” Rich Lavoie says.
If you or anyone you know is serious about starting a career as an HVAC technician, please contact us. We’re looking to train more local men and women like Stefano.
