ECC sets the bar of excellence in HVAC & Refrigeration
Students enrolled in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) program at Elgin Community College stood head and shoulders above the rest in a statewide competition held April 28-29 in Springfield.
Alex Ginkel of Greenwood won a gold medal in the sheet metal division, and David Valdez of Roscoe won gold in the HVACR division at the 53rd annual State Leadership and Skills Conference at SkillsUSA Illinois.
Two other ECC students, Monico Perez and Jose Francisco Rocha Tapia, both of Elgin, won fifth and 12th place, respectively, in the HVACR competition.
The students competed in the architecture and carpentry cluster of SkillsUSA, which is a showcase of career and technical education (CTE) students from around the state.
More than 1,000 CTE students compete hands-on in 100 different trade, technical and leadership fields. Students have a certain amount of time to demonstrate their level of expertise in various occupations such as electronics, computer-aided drafting, precision machining, and more.
ECC team coach Steven "Woody" Woods said the students trained every Saturday since January, and some even gave up time during the week to train on their own. As a member of the ECC faculty team and a practitioner in the HVACR industry, Woods said the students demonstrated a sincere level of commitment during training.
"(The students) continually studied and took practice written exams to complement their hands-on training," he said. "During the Saturday training sessions, they worked on induced faults put in the furnaces and air conditioning systems, which enabled them to be fully prepared and confident on competition day."
Ginkel and Valdez now qualify for the National Competition in Louisville, Ky. in June. Already ECC faculty and administrators are creating opportunities for students to enhance their level of knowledge and success.
"Winning the gold medal validates the academic level of excellence set by the program," said George Rosa, program coordinator for the HVACR program.
The HVACR program is just one of many career and technical education programs offered at ECC.
"ECC's HVAC program meets industry standards, prepares students for success in the classroom, in the field, and it endorses the commitment and dedication of the faculty," added Rosa.
And what about the life after ECC for these students? Employment opportunities for Heating and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration mechanics and installers is expected to grow more than 14 percent through 2024, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
To learn more about the program, visit elgin.edu.