 Schneider, born and raised in Lincoln, is not new to the heating,
ventilation and air conditioning trade. He began his career in 1978
with Cotton Mechanical, where he worked for seven years.He and
his brother, Mike, then formed Schneider Bros. Heating and Cooling,
but according to Joe, Mike soon found out that climbing through
crawl spaces and in old attics was not what he wanted to do for a
living. Joe kept the business name and owned and operated Schneider
Bros. from 1984 until 2000.
In 2000, Schneider went to work for Midwest Technical Institute,
then located in Lincoln, and was their HVAC instructor. When the
school moved to Springfield, Joe went with them for a while, but he
knew there was a need for a local trade school.
And so, at the end of 2008, he started working with Reggie Payne,
the owner of R.A. Mechanical, to use a portion of the property at
203 S. Logan for a school. Last fall, along with partner Mark
Defrates, originally from Springfield and the operator of Delta Tech
School in New Haven, Miss., the pair began the long process of being
approved by the state. Now that the approval has finally come
through, the two are ready to start offering classes.
Schneider says that the class size will be limited to a maximum
of 10 students to make sure students receive the one-on-one training
that is important in such a school.
Unlike conventional schools, Global Tech Training is not subject
to only offering courses at specific times or dates. When enough
students enroll for a class, the course will begin.
Schneider also says that to help students get this important
training even if they have other obligations or jobs, there will be
morning, afternoon and evening courses available.
The course is extensive and runs 15 weeks, four days a week, four
hours per day. The classroom training is more than 50 percent
hands-on, with students working on and repairing working units that
have been rendered inoperable by the instructors. Students learn to
troubleshoot and repair units under realistic conditions.
[to top of second column] |
Joe pointed out that not everyone wants to or is suited to attend
college, and he explained that the certifications graduates receive
from Global Tech are valid anywhere in the U.S. and in the world.
Certifications that students can receive upon graduation include EPA
certification, refrigerant handling, HVAC excellence, electrical
troubleshooting, heat pump and more.
Schneider says there is always a strong interest in the trades
from students graduating from high school. But in the current
economic climate there is a strong interest from laid-off or
displaced workers needing to learn a new trade that will allow them
to re-enter the work force with a new skill. And right now HVAC
skills look to hold a promising future.
The U.S. Department of labor says that roughly forty percent of
the HVACR industry is eligible to retire in the next decade. During
this same period of time, the industry is set to grow by eighteen
percent to twenty-six percent. If these numbers hold true, the
country will need to recruit and train sixty-six percent of the
current industry workforce to fill the need for new technicians.
The school soon intends to expand into all the mechanical trades,
such as plumbing, electrical and welding.
Schneider explained the importance of the trade school compared
with other schools of higher learning. "Even at the junior college
level, schools are requiring master's degrees to teach courses," he
said. "Not many tradesmen have master's, but they have a lifetime of
experience and knowledge that they can teach and pass on to new
students."
Currently there is the possibility of financial aid from the
Illinois workNet program as well as the Community Action Partnership
of Central Illinois.
Schneider says anyone interested in learning more about obtaining
a new trade or to discuss the finances of going to the trade school can visit
Global Tech to discuss the opportunities. The phone number for
anyone wanting more information is 217-650-7652.
[By
MIKE FAK] |
