As 2017 is almost here, I wish for all that may have occasion to visit our website to take note on how fine a job Shannon Kokinda does with maintaining it. Shannon, along with our COO and husband Joey have recently been blessed with a new Son, Kaden to join AJ! Our Son Bryan (our CIO) also has Heaven and Julia, and our Daughter Kacey (our Construction Superintendent) has Michael to add to the fray! Woah!!!
I am happy to see our family grow, as now our grandkids are numbering 6 including one in Florida who lives the warm life. We hope they all will develop passion for what they decide is important to them personally, and be supported by all of our Family in pursuing their passion.
Shannon’s (and Joeys!) duties now take priority accordingly, and we are all proud of their efforts to remain an important part of our Team and stay involved and focused, while simultaneously rearing their newborn. (Yes, you read it correctly, rearing children is what Families do. We “raise” goats (Kids…) ) words from my Grandmother….. J
We here at Pro HVACR are pleased to be in a position to allow our Staff to be able to tend to their flock (in so many words) first and foremost. We offer support to those who require a paycheck or other special services we may be able to provide for their livelihood when those family events require that extra support be there without a second thought.
We are indeed blessed with having that ability. Many Companies out there do not. This ability of course is due to our customers allowing us to make these efforts by offering repeated and plentiful and profitable work each and every month. We are truly very fortunate.
2017 will see a ramp up on my part to lobby “those that matter” with a re-coining of our Industry Moniker. It will be a busy 2017 for myself as I continue to learn how to improve the process. Many on this list this morning I consider friends and have guided me on this journey with their imput and indeed, passion. I am again fortunate to have met them and they be open to me and my questions.
Recruiting methods for our Trades are old and archaic. Listing your “Job Opening” is what everyone does. How’s that working?
Highlighting properly what we do in today’s medium (with all those platforms available to us) that may garner the interest and “curiosity” in what we really do is what we really need to focus on.
We want the curious to join us. We often get the complacent or desperate “only need a paycheck” types who do not allow your training or mentoring efforts to take hold.
“HVACR Tech” simply no longer applies. It is way too broad of an Industry (NAICS Code) description to really explain what we do. Our Trade has changed so much in the past 20 years that I see the “old ways” of learning, teaching and performing our task have lagged behind the rapidly changing landscape. HVACR Tech simply does not get my blood pumping. It needs to go away. It is so short of what one really does. The mental image being displayed will not garner the curious. The audience think they already know what that means… Crawling around in hot attics to tend to poorly designed and installed systems… In Houston or Miami! Good Luck with that.
Passionate and successful Trades people have a certain “force within them” ( an on time reference, no?) that simply will not allow them to accept mediocrity. The movement of energy from one place to the other is what we do. It is moved or transported by myriad methodology we are all FAMILIAR with, but sadly only that. Electrical energy is taken from a source and put to WORK (students need to be able to define work) specifically to power many methods of transporting heat away from any given area to be USED OR given up at another area. Simple! Correct?….
Well, not so simple really. To be great at your task relative to the description I have mentioned, we MUST all understand the Laws of Thermodynamics. These Laws are NOT being treated fairly in many of the Public Schools or Tech Programs that are out there. The premise that one understands these Laws is already taken for granted by Instructors everywhere, or, the Instructors themselves do not see their audience of needing to have this understanding and knowledge in order to be successful.
In closing this December morning, I wish to state that a “Thermodynamic Energy Specialist” (relative to HVACR) will require much more understanding than what an “HVAC Tech” conjures up today by the general public. One must understand deeply the Electrical Science, the Chemical Science, the Mechanical Science, The Fan Laws Science, the IAQ Science, the Meteorology Science, the Leverage and Building Science, the Mathematical Science and a few more that I will not mention today for brevity purposes in order to be considered a “TES”.
How can this be done? This is what I will be working on in 2017. For instance, try to list a job for “Thermodynamic Energy Specialist” and see what that gets you.
Many “steps” would be required to become a well-rounded expert, and must be pursued on one’s own part to achieve those standards I have listed today. This is sad.
Our Industry should identify and then steer candidates into specialized “niches” during their Classroom Training efforts. Programs should attempt to identify “when the light comes on” in their Student body, and then take that light so it will not go out. We have a light bulb in the Smithsonian Institute that has been working since the light bulb was invented……
If you are really passionate about “things”, and have the wish to be part of a Career that can never be outsourced, has many “niche” specialties to be able to choose from, and leaves you with a good feeling as you go home….. or better yet, to work the next day, then a “Thermodynamic Energy Specialist” is what you wish to become.
Happy New Year!