GPS Education Partners and Gustave A. Larson Company announce its joint partnership that will allow the company to build industry talent pools and future workforces using a unique youth apprenticeship model designed by GPSEd. The apprenticeship model will match motivated student workers with promising HVAC/R careers and expose them to career pathways in the HVAC/R industry.

“The HVAC/R industry is facing a growing skills gap driven by an aging workforce, the rising employability gap and youths who are just not aware of careers in the industry,” said Andrew Larson, chairman and CEO of the Larson Company. “Partnering with GPS Education Partners will help accelerate HVAC/R careers among the young student population by providing a future workforce to help fill our talent pipeline and a pipeline for our business partners.”

The partnership began with a pilot program that launched Oct. 1, 2018, in which a typical student’s day is divided between classroom learning and work-based training delivered through The Larson Company and its business partners. A mentor at the workplace assists students in their day-to-day activities while teaching life-long skills they can apply far beyond their apprenticeship.

Participating students will experience career pathways in the program through rotations between The Larson Company’s West Allis, Wis., facility and working as a service technician apprentice with a handful of its contractor partners. This allows students to explore different work environments and business cultures as well as take on different roles and responsibilities, all while earning their high school diploma.

Students can also emerge as leaders by learning self-awareness, decision-making skills, self-management, and teamwork. They will have opportunities to demonstrate those skills in their apprenticeship placement as well as in the community by participating in service learning projects.

As the program expands, the Larson Company will be reaching out to more partners to employ more student candidates, identify mentors, and take an active role in filling their talent pipelines with students interested in a career in HVAC/R.

Stephanie Borowski, GPS Education Partners CEO and President, noted that the GPS Work-based Learning model is successful and repeatable. “We represent a broad community of educators and business leaders who believe in the transformation of education and training to develop our future workforce,” she said. “This collaborative work will prepare America’s youth for success in technical careers of the future and help rebuild the foundation of the middle class.”

About Gustave A. Larson Company

The Larson Company is the Midwest, Plains and Mountain states’ leading wholesale distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) equipment, parts, and supplies from over 450 different manufacturers. In addition to a full line of equipment, controls, supplies and replacement parts, each location offers customer educational opportunities, including technical and business training.

Family owned and operated since 1936, the Larson Company’s corporate offices are located in Pewaukee, Wis. The company employs 450 team members throughout 20 states and 52 locations.

To learn more visit www.galarson.com or call 262-542-0200.

About GPS Education Partners

GPSEd is a community-based nonprofit organization and one of the largest statewide Department of Workforce Development Youth Apprenticeship Programs in Wisconsin. Our community-based education model sets us apart and is the catalyst to building strategic partnerships with education, business and community entities. These partnerships enable us to accelerate student preparation in technical careers through powerful, credentialed work-based learning solutions.

Founded in 2000, GPSEd is deeply committed to designing, building and executing Work-based Learning solutions that address the needs of businesses who are ready to close the skills gap by developing tomorrows workforce with today’s youth.

To learn more visit www.GPSEd.org or email info@GPSEd.org.