CCHS is a high school in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, serving students who did not always connect with the traditional classroom. Some of them are now graduating with a federal certification that plenty of working techs did not earn until after they were hired.
The program behind it is a partnership between CCHS and Johnstone Supply, whose team brings equipment and instructors directly onto campus. No shop building. No five-day pathway. Just concentrated, hands-on training blocks built around what entry-level HVAC work actually requires.
This is the first conversation in our series on the people building the HVAC workforce: the coordinators, instructors, apprenticeship directors and employers turning the technician shortage into an opportunity for the next generation. We asked Chantelle Cafferata, Community School Coordinator at Central Coast High School, how the program started, what students get their hands on, and what other districts and local employers can take from it. Her answers are below.
The HVAC program grew out of Central Coast High School's larger effort to connect students with real career experiences during the school day. Many students at a continuation high school have not always connected with traditional classroom learning, but that does not mean they are not capable or interested in learning. Sometimes they simply have not found the right entry point.
HVAC was selected because it is a high-demand skilled trade with strong career opportunities and multiple pathways after high school. The partnership with Johnstone Supply made it possible to move beyond career exploration and give students hands-on instruction from professionals who understand the industry.
The HVAC program is not currently a traditional five-day-a-week pathway. Instead, students participate in concentrated training experiences throughout the school year that combine technical instruction with hands-on learning.
Students learn the concepts behind HVAC systems and then have opportunities to work with equipment, tools, electrical components and troubleshooting activities. This year, the program is continuing to build out the sequence with introductory HVAC training, Electrical 101 and additional technical instruction.
The goal is to connect what students are learning to something they can see, touch and apply.
Johnstone Supply provides the industry expertise behind the program. Their team works directly with students, brings equipment and training onto campus, and helps students understand what HVAC technicians actually do in the field.
Students receive exposure to HVAC components, electrical systems, tools, troubleshooting, safety practices and equipment connected to EPA 608 preparation.
Just as important, students have access to professionals who can answer questions about the industry, including what employers look for, what entry-level work is like and what opportunities exist after high school.
Students receive instruction and preparation related to the EPA Section 608 certification and then have an opportunity to take the certification exam.
During the first year of the program, two CCHS students earned their EPA 608 certification.
Because the program is still new, CCHS is continuing to build the certification pipeline. The long-term goal is to move students from career exposure to technical skills, from skills to industry credentials, and then from credentials to employment or continued training.
Developing the transition from high school into employment, apprenticeships and additional technical education is the next phase of the program.
The goal is for students to leave CCHS with more than exposure to a career. Ideally, students will graduate with industry knowledge, certifications, relationships with local employers and a clear understanding of their next step.
The program is still in its early stages, so CCHS does not yet have a large group of graduates placed with local HVAC companies.
The first major milestone has been students successfully earning industry certification. The next step is strengthening relationships with local HVAC employers so students can move from training and certification into job shadows, internships, apprenticeships and employment.
There is not one type of student who fits HVAC.
Students who enjoy working with their hands may be drawn to it, but HVAC also requires problem-solving, science, electrical knowledge, troubleshooting and attention to detail.
Freshmen and sophomores do not need previous experience to participate. The most important starting point is curiosity and a willingness to try something new. Career exploration at CCHS is designed to give students opportunities to discover strengths and interests they may not know they have yet.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that skilled trades are a second choice compared with college.
CCHS approaches career readiness differently. College may be the right pathway for one student, while an apprenticeship, skilled trade, technical program or direct employment may be right for another. Some students may combine several of those pathways.
The goal is not to define success for students. It is to make sure students have enough strong options to make an informed choice about their future.
Students often discover how much technical knowledge and problem-solving goes into HVAC.
It is much more than repairing an air conditioner. Technicians need to understand electrical systems, science, safety, diagnostics and how different components work together.
That type of problem-solving can also reach students who may not always see themselves as successful in a traditional classroom. A real system that is not working gives them a problem to solve and an immediate reason to apply what they are learning.
Schools can play an important role in developing the local workforce pipeline, but they cannot do it alone.
Local employers need skilled workers, while young people need access to careers, training and professional relationships. Programs like this can help build the bridge between the two.
Over time, students could graduate already having industry exposure, technical skills, certifications, employer relationships and work-based learning experience. That creates a much shorter distance between high school and a sustainable career.
Start with relationships before equipment.
Schools do not need to become HVAC companies or recreate the expertise that already exists in the community. Strong industry partners can help schools understand what students actually need to learn, what equipment they should experience and what employers will expect from future workers.
The school's role is to create the bridge between students and those opportunities.
There are many entry points for local HVAC employers.
Employers can speak with students, provide demonstrations, host site visits or job shadows, mentor students, help identify industry skills, provide internships, participate in mock interviews, or consider students and graduates for employment.
The goal is to continue growing the employer side of the program so students are not learning about HVAC in isolation. They are building relationships with the actual industry they may eventually enter.
Every conversation about the technician shortage eventually lands on the same question: where does the next generation come from? CCHS is one answer. A distributor donates expertise, a school opens the door during the class day, and students who might never have set foot in a trade program leave with a certification and a network.
If you are a Monterey County HVAC employer who wants to get involved with the CCHS program, reach out to Central Coast High School through MPUSD.
If you are a student or recent grad weighing your options after a program like this one, our guide to HVAC apprenticeships covers what paid training looks like and how to get in. And when you are ready to look for entry-level work, apprentice and helper openings are posted on the board.
Run a training program, apprenticeship, or school partnership we should feature in this series? Email us at team@findhvacjobs.com. We publish a new conversation regularly, and each one puts your program in front of HVAC employers and future techs nationwide.
Thanks to Chantelle Cafferata, Community School Coordinator at Central Coast High School (Monterey Peninsula Unified School District), for taking the time to answer our questions. To reach Chantelle directly about partnerships, getting involved with the program, or questions, email her at ccafferata@mpusd.k12.ca.us.
