PHCC Educational Foundation Tackles Trade Shortage with Jail Initiative
A new seven-week intensive training program is turning incarceration into an opportunity for career-readiness in the skilled trades. The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors— National Association Indiana Chapter in conjunction with the PHCC Educational Foundation has launched a specialized HVAC and plumbing re-entry program designed for prisoners who want to pursue a life in the trades after serving their time.
Adapted from PHCC Academy’s online curriculum, the HVAC and plumbing pre-apprenticeship courses could help address the state’s technician shortage where possible by equipping inmates with the necessary skills before they return to the community.
The in-person course is being held weekly, in two-hour sessions at the Hamilton County Jail Indiana in Noblesville, Indiana, where participants learn from the instructor to be able to meet the course requirements. The first set of eight inmates – individuals with non-violent, minor offenses – were enrolled in the program in March. To be eligible, prisoners must express interest in the trades and get approved for the course – and there is a waiting list to participate in the future.
The first cohort is learning the HVAC Pre-apprentice curriculum, which delivers a robust foundation in HVAC safety and applied mathematics, while providing hands-on instruction in the tools, materials and methods used, including the refrigeration cycles essential to modern HVAC systems. Chuck Gillespie, the state executive director, is running the pre-apprenticeship program inside the jail and will issue training certificates to the prisoners who complete the course.
To support them in their transition back into the workforce, Gillespie is working with local PHCC member organizations to provide the inmates interview opportunities upon successful course completion. “While we cannot promise they will get hired, we can do our best to set them up for success,” added Gillespie.
This initiative comes as part of a wider “TOWER” program (Transitioning Opportunities for Work, Education and Reality), a career-help initiative organized by the Hamilton County Indiana Jail, providing hope and equipping prisoners with skills to integrate into daily life more easily. On top of setting participants up for a career in the skilled trades, the prison holds career fairs and organizes wider professional activities such as resume-writing to get them ready for life after prison.
The PHCC of Indiana Chapter is determined to make this a successful program, and should inmates get released before they finish the HVAC training, the Foundation will enroll them in the online pre-apprentice course free-of-charge, maximizing their chance at completion.
To learn more, visit phccacademy.org/courses/.
