(ROSENBERG, Texas) – When students graduate from college, they need the most up-to-date skills and knowledge to compete in the job market. That cutting edge learning is what Texas State Technical College strives to provide. And for those in TSTC’s HVAC Technology program on the Fort Bend County campus, a big upgrade is underway in that regard.
Daikin, one of the largest air conditioning manufacturers in the world, has recently partnered with the program to provide students with the latest in air conditioning (AC) technology. Jeff Bledsoe, the contractor development manager from Daikin, was the main point of contact for this collaborative effort.
“Daikin is very committed to working with trade schools and building a better pipeline for technicians,” Bledsoe said. “I feel, in my position, that we have a responsibility to train and educate people on what they will be working on in the field.”
To that end, TSTC was provided with a number of new equipment including rooftop systems, furnaces and other residential type units. Joseph Simien, an instructor in the HVAC technology program at the campus, believes the equipment is essential to providing the best instruction to his students.
“I’m a firm believer in education,” Simien said. “There are more and more locations with these inverted units that Daikin makes, so it’s important students know what they will run into.”
Inverted AC units like the ones Daikin provided TSTC operate by constantly monitoring the air temperature and adjusting power output accordingly. Simien describes the difference between traditional and inverted machines as trying to start a car in fifth gear (traditional) versus first gear (inverted). The amount of energy and power needed for inverted AC is significantly less while maintaining, or even improving, the quality of air conditioning.
“Your staff (at TSTC) is so forward-looking,” Bledsoe said. “They want to invest in new technology such as inverter technology. The fact that they were so engaged and passionate about teaching is a large part why I wanted to work with them.”
TSTC offers HVAC Technology at its Abilene, Fort Bend County, Harlingen, North Texas, Waco and Williamson County campuses. An associate degree and certificates of completion are available.
Registration for TSTC’s fall semester is open. For more information, go to tstc.edu.