Johnson Controls Chooses Penn College for HVAC Collaboration

In a time when the heating, ventilating and air conditioning industry is facing a shortage of skilled workers, Pennsylvania College of Technology and Johnson Controls are teaming up to attract and groom the next generation of HVAC technicians.

Through its national program called CareerConnect, Johnson Controls donates resources and equipment to partnering schools to support existing curriculum and simulate the work environment. The company's contributions to Penn College will include classroom and laboratory learning materials, instruction from local industry experts and paid internship opportunities. In total, the market value of the CareerConnect program to Penn College is more than $13,000.

Johnson Controls also will participate in community and recruiting events to increase local awareness of career opportunities available to skilled technicians. According to employment projections reported by the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, the total number of HVAC-related skilled trade positions is expected to grow nearly 10 percent nationwide by the year 2016. In Pennsylvania alone, there will be 300 new HVAC job openings annually.

Students enrolled in key programs at Penn College's School of Construction and Design Technologies also are eligible for the Johnson Controls Future Hires Program. This opportunity offers select students scholarship money to help mitigate tuition costs and guarantees a technician job with Johnson Controls upon graduation. Up to five students from Penn College can be selected annually for participation.

"Our school and students have a lot to gain from this relationship with Johnson Controls," said Marc E. Bridgens, interim dean of the school. "We gain access to industry leadership, and our students can obtain an employment offer with a Fortune 500 company."

The CareerConnect program reflects the company's dedication to the communities in which it serves. Through its local network of service professionals, including branches in Harrisburg and others throughout the mid-Atlantic region, Johnson Controls offers a team of experts and a range of service solutions designed to improve facility performance.

"These programs allow Johnson Controls to meet the needs of our growing service business by investing in promising local talent," said Chris McNally, central Pennsylvania service branch manager, Johnson Controls. "We also shorten our recruiting cycle and benefit from increased productivity of our new hires."

To date, Penn College is one of 14 CareerConnect relationships that Johnson Controls has established throughout North America. Colleges are evaluated based on school and program demographics including diversity statistics, curriculum and ability to modify it, geographic areas served, enrollments, placement statistics, strategies, and its relationship with Johnson Controls.

For details on Johnson Controls, with a team of 140,000 employees that creates products and services for more than 200 million vehicles, 12 million homes and 1 million commercial buildings, visit online.

For more about the HVAC program and other majors in Penn College's School of Construction and Design Technologies, visiton the Web or call (570) 327-4518.

For general information about the college, a special mission affiliate of The Pennsylvania State University, visit online, e-mail or call toll-free (800) 367-9222.