Back to school: Supplying Lehigh Carbon Community College with new equipment for HVAC students
Being part of the communities we serve goes well beyond delivering safe, reliable electricity. Through PPL Foundation’s Empowering Communities grants, we support local programs focused on environmental stewardship and education, economic development and/or workforce development.
Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville is a recent recipient of an Empowering Communities grant. The college used this funding to both buy new heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and update older equipment for its students to use in the classroom.
“We teach the students the basics for refrigeration and air conditioning, and we push a lot of hands-on learning,” said Tim Brady, associate professor of the HVAC program at LCCC. “So, we need to maintain equipment that keeps up with the changes and certifications in the industry.”
The new equipment, which includes a refrigeration training unit and hydrocarbon and carbon dioxide manifolds, was introduced and used for the first time this year during LCCC’s summer session. Roughly 50 more students will benefit from these new tools during the fall semester.
“When we initially purchased the equipment in October of 2023, it felt like Christmas came early,” Brady said. “So many aspects of our daily lives depend on these skilled workers.”
From office buildings to hospitals to the air conditioners in our homes, HVAC’s impacts can be found everywhere. Furthermore, the college says that there’s a demand for trade workers nationwide. That need is proven by an increase in professional demand for LCCC’s students.
“I used to get one call at the end of a semester from employers,” Brady said. “Now, I get two or three calls per semester. They used to tell me they were looking for a student, and now they’re asking me how many I can send them.”
Through this Empowering Communities grant, students are learning how to work with equipment they’ll run into while out in the workforce. By the time they leave the program, the students earn 14 different certifications, including certificates for newer and more environmentally friendly refrigerants that are becoming standard in the industry. This learning isn’t just important for the students’ professional development, but LCCC students can use their expertise to make a positive impact in communities throughout central and eastern Pennsylvania.
“Our HVAC students could be working in the hospital that your parents are staying in,” said Dr. Andrea Grannum-Mosley, dean of the School of Workforce at LCCC. “We’re happy that PPL was able to support this. PPL is helping Lehigh Carbon Community College help everyone, and it really warms our heart.”