Air Force One Announces Educational Partnership with Columbus City Schools

Dozens of Students and Adult Learners Expected to Benefit in the Next Year

 

 

Air Force One, Inc. of Dublin, OH announced today that the company has been chosen by the Columbus City School District, Ohio’s largest public-school system, to be a private industry partner for the multi-generational commercial HVAC program.  This Industry Credential Pathway will provide career opportunities for students and District residents to move into middle-class wage jobs that are recession-proof and provide vital services to area businesses. It is the desire of the high school Career-Technical Education Department and the Adult Education Program to leverage this opportunity to provide a scalable model to develop other in-demand skills trade programs.

Ed O’Reilly, Director of Adult and Community Education for Columbus City Schools, shared the following: “The school district is excited for our high school and adult learners.  With access to relevant curriculum and real-world experience our students will be prepared for an immediate career or further educational opportunities.  Having Air Force One as a business partner provides industry expertise enhancing efforts to cooperatively build the best program in the state.”

Air Force One CEO, Greg Guy says, “This puts us in the position to develop these types of public/private partnerships that will hopefully be a model for other industries such as electrical or masonry.  We think every student deserves the chance to soar high in pursuit of their goals and having a standard setting HVAC training program right here in Columbus will help them do just that.”

Under the direction of AFO Training Manager, Dustin Blackstone, the team is developing a commercial HVAC training program for high school juniors and seniors with a separate program for adults. This new curriculum is based on the four levels of the NCCER (National Center for Construction Education and Research) North American Technician Excellence program. Additionally, Air Force One has purchased licenses for all of the students so they are able to utilize cutting edge virtual reality software by Interplay Learning as a part of the curriculum.

Dustin and his team are also completely revamping the technical training lab at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center. This will include the purchase of brand-new tools and commercial equipment provided by all major vendors. “I don’t believe a commercial HVAC lab like this has ever been done before in Ohio,” Dustin says. “It is a very exciting, and rewarding, project to be a part of.”

Students will have the opportunity to achieve more than six industry ready certifications and the EPA 608 Universal Certification throughout the first year of school. In addition to learning all of the necessary technical skills, high school students will also gain real life job skills. There is a rotating student foreman that will follow closely with the leadership training portion of the curriculum.

Air Force One is also partnering with Columbus City Schools and other industry leaders to provide a pathway for students to secure internship opportunities during the first and second years of the program. “The Air Force One team is honored to be a part of this project and further demonstrate our commitment to developing the next generation of HVAC professionals” Greg Guy, Air Force One CEO.

ABOUT AIR FORCE ONE
Air Force One is a Dublin-based commercial HVAC & facilities services provider specializing in preventive maintenance, energy conservation and total facility automation. From holistic, design-build projects to mechanical systems installations to proactive maintenance plans, Air Force One partners with clients to get and keep buildings performing at optimal levels. Find out more at www.airforceone.com.