It’s 8:45 a.m. on a Wednesday morning at The K Company in Akron. Inside the HVAC company’s state-of-the-art Mark E. Chonko Training Center, Frank Perez, adjunct instructor for Stark State College, is teaching his class about the operation sequence of a furnace.

But his audience isn’t a room full of new apprentices. It’s a class of 11 College Credit Plus (CCP) students from Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron and GlenOak High School in Canton.

They’re part of a program first established between Stark State, The K Company and Hoban in fall 2023. It’s mission: to provide hands-on education focused on a trade that will not only provide students with in-demand skills but help create an employment pipeline for an industry that needs workers.

“This program is one of the first of its kind in Ohio,” said Sarah Fiddler, Ed.D., director of secondary partnerships at Stark State. “Once students complete the program, they’re ready to be employed to serve the local needs of employers who are seeking employees in the skills or trades area of the workforce. It’s a great collaboration that offers a new option for our partner schools and their students.”

“This type of program has a major impact locally on workforce development, giving young men and women a solid path to employment,” said Christopher Martin, president of The K Company. “Bringing these kids into the CCP HVAC forum is a wonderful way to introduce them to all facets of a small company business.”

Blending education with real-world experience

It’s an innovative concept.

High school students take CCP HVAC courses from Stark State faculty on-site at The K Company. While earning electives toward high school graduation credits, they’re also earning college credits and gaining an option for a credential and skill when they graduate.

“We had a number of students who were contemplating pursuing a trade after high school,” said Jennifer Mattes, associate principal of student services at Hoban. “Almost simultaneously, The K Company approached us about the possibility of partnering for CCP opportunities. As a private, Catholic high school, our students are not able to access trade programs through career centers like the public schools can. This pilot program was a big deal for those students.”

“The K Company has, since its inception, been a strong advocate for continual training,” said Martin. “The HVAC industry is always changing, and with equipment lifespan in the field between 15-30 years our technicians need to be trained on decades of technology among multiple manufacturers. Stark State has always had an excellent local HVAC program. The HVAC trade is a very stable and high-paying career path that has been missed by the typical student counselors. We started with Archbishop Hoban because of their forward thinking and high standards.”

Last year, nine Hoban students enrolled in the program. For the 2024-25 school year, six students from Hoban and five from GlenOak are taking HVAC Principles I in fall and HVAC Principles II in spring, earning college credit in the process.

“The hands-on training at The K Company is crucial for students to gain HVAC technical skills,” said Jerad Buck, academy principal at GlenOak. “Additionally, the partnership with Stark State allows students to take a CCP course each semester and apply for paid internships or apprenticeships. This aligns perfectly with our district’s mission to provide students with meaningful career pathways.”

In his approach, Perez makes sure his students learn “soft skills” alongside technical ones to make them even more successful in their careers.

“I’m teaching them how to talk to people, how to be courteous to customers,” said Perez. “I tell them that when they leave the work area around a furnace, it should be as clean as when they got there, if not cleaner. Any good employer will keep working with these kids and make them better. With this course, they’ll have a great foundation for that.”

Looking to the future

For the participating schools, the impact on students is invaluable.

“Our students have the chance to work alongside potential future employers,” said Buck. “It serves as a continuous interview, evaluating their work ethic, punctuality, character and interpersonal skills. Additionally, they can complete the program debt-free, which is a significant advantage as they start their careers.”

Mattes echoed his sentiment and noted that the program’s success has allowed Hoban to start conversations of offering additional programming in collaboration with Stark State through CCP.

“I can’t begin to say how easy Stark State made this process for us,” said Mattes. “Being able to partner with two fabulous organizations and bring a program like this to Hoban is something I am very proud of.”

As the program launches into its second year, Fiddler already has her sights set on the 2025-26 school year.

“The value this provides for students is an opportunity for a career and skills to market themselves to earn a living wage plus the ability to continue their education at Stark State to complete the certificate and our degree,” she explained. “I hope more districts will join next school year.”