Keane Bismarck, RACCA Apprenticeship Program Administrator
News

RACCA Apprenticeship Program Begins Registration for the Start of 26th Year, PTC Secures Significant Grant

August 05, 2021

According to Keane Bismarck, Apprenticeship Program Administrator for the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (RACCA), the program is now accepting applications for the 2021/2022 classroom year. The 25 year old program serves Participating Employers and their Apprentices in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas Counties. The Association offers 2 side by side, four-year programs in Heating and Air Conditioning and Commercial Refrigeration. Classes are scheduled to begin on September 7, 2021 and run through mid April 2022. There are 2 classes per week from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with choices, on either Monday & Wednesday or Tuesday & Thursday evenings. All classes are conducted at Pinellas Technical College in Clearwater.

Keane Bismarck, RACCA Apprenticeship Program Administrator
Keane Bismarck, RACCA Apprenticeship Program Administrator

SOME REALLY BIG NEWS
The Pinellas Technical College (PTC) has secured a grant of over $71,000.00 to purchase new training devices and equipment in support of RACCA’s program. “This will have a large impact on our program”, Bismarck stated. “PTC has been a great partner over the years and is one of the reasons our program has grown and been such a success”. With more than 100,000 job openings nationally in the trade, every training resource needs to be utilized. Contractors in the HVACR Industry are scrambling to find workers, even at the entry level.

That’s what makes Apprenticeship so attractive and viable. Employers have their Trainees working full time during the day while they are learning to become future skilled Technicians in the evenings.

“If Contractors don’t begin to develop raw talent we will never increase the skill pool and employers will continue to hire, fire and steal workers from one another”, stated Bismarck.

For the reasons stated already, the RACCA program is anticipating a huge registration this August and may need to consider a waiting list as the September deadline draws near. You can contact the program for registration or more information by calling Keane Bismarck, Administrator, @ 813-253-9859 or James McCann, Coordinator @ 727-538-7167 x 2158.

While the RACCA Program only covers Apprenticeship in the immediate Tampa Bay area, there are many fine association-run programs across the state of Florida. It is suggested that if an interested Contractor is located in another area, they should contact FRACCA, the State Association, at 407-676-0031. FRACCA can help direct you to the nearest program sponsored by one of its Chapters.