RACCA has a highly successful and respected Apprenticeship Program that continues to provide needed training to the HVAC Industry. Our program is designed to train individuals for a career in Residential and Light Commercial HVAC (Installer/Servicer).
How it works… A HVAC Contractor in the Tampa Bay Area sponsors an employee into the program and pays for the employee’s tuition and book costs. The employee/apprentice works full time (40 Hours a week) for their employer while attending night classes two nights per week (usually from September through March). These classes are three hours a night and fall on Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday from 6:00 PM til 9:00 PM. The employer provides an on the job supervisor to round out the new skills the apprentice acquires in school. Note: No classes are held during the busy summer months.
What are the benefits for the Apprentice & Employer?
Apprentice:
First and foremost, the apprentice’s education in this trade is one thing which cannot be taken from them. Knowledge makes them a more highly valuable employee and a much more productive person to an employer. All this translates to higher wages for them when they graduate from the Apprenticeship Program.
Employer:
The employer benefits from apprenticeship training by having a more highly skilled workforce, which can produce a higher quality product with fewer mistakes in less time. This in turn creates higher profits for their company.
Apprenticeship Program… is a four year program of 624 classroom hours and 8,000 On-The-Job-Training (OJT) hours. When completed the student is recognized as a journeyman in residential and light commercial heating and air conditioning (Installer/Servicer). Note: This is a registered Program to meet state and federal standards.
First Year Curriculum:
Fabrication and installation of air distribution systems, including rigid fiberglass duct board, flexible duct and sheet metal. Special attention to industry standards and codes.
Second Year Curriculum:
Fundamentals of refrigeration, system components, piping and setting equipment, evacuation, charging and recovery.
Third Year Curriculum:
Basic electricity, Ohms Law, series circuits, parallel circuits, low and line voltage training on boards, control circuitry for residential and light commercial HVAC. If time allows; there maybe several seminars and field trips.
Fourth Year Curriculum:
Psychometrics, residential load calculations layout and design (one project), electric heat, oil and gas fired systems overview, heat pump analysis and trouble shooting will complete this year’s training.
For people that are interested in participating in RACCA’s Apprenticeship Program, click here for a brochure.
Apprentice Responsibilities:
An Apprentice must abide by the rules set forth in the “Standard of Apprenticeship”, the rules of the School Board of Pinellas County as well as the rules of Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater. You must be on time to school as well as work.
Employer Responsibilities:
HVAC Contractor doing business in the Tampa Bay Area must sign a “Participating Employer Agreement” which agrees to pay the apprentice at least a minimum wage for their level in the program (in accordance with the scale found in the “Standards of Apprenticeship”). The employer is responsible for payment of tuition and books for the program. The employer has an active role in the educational program process by giving “on the job” experience that is consistent with what the apprentice is currently studying.
HVAC Contractors that are looking for formal training for an outstanding employee should consider this economical and proven program.
The Apprenticeship Program will begin accepting applications after July 6th, 2025 (after July 4th weekend) for the 2025/2026 classroom year. Classes will begin Tuesday evening, September 2, 2025 (after Labor Day). Classes are conducted at Pinellas Technical College 6100 154th Ave North Clearwater, FL 33760 located near the St. Petersburg / Clearwater airport.
Kimberly Barker (left), PTEC Clearwater Campus Assistant Administrator presents an award in 2025 recognizing 25 years of partnership between the RACCA Apprenticeship Program and Pinellas Technical College. RACCA’s President Renee Pagan accepted the award for RACCA’s Apprenticeship Note: Renee Pagan Graduated from RACCA’s Apprenticeship Program.
RACCA’s sponsored Apprenticeship Program can also be found on the Pinellas Technical College website, click here.
Costs per apprentice is $850.00 (TBD) per year. Firms that are members of RACCA receive a discount of $175.00 (TBD) per apprentice.
For companies wanting to sponsor apprentices, click here for an application.
For more information contact Keane Bismarck (RACCA’s Apprenticeship Program Administrator) at 813-253-9859 or by email at apprenticeship@racca-florida.org or James McCann (Apprenticeship Coordinator PTC- Clearwater) at 727-538-7167 Ext. 2158 or by email at mccannja@pcsb.org.