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CareerEdge and Employers Partner For A Tuition Free Installation & Maintenance Air Conditioning Training (Nov 4, 2019) – Sarasota, FL.: Local heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) companies are partnering with CareerEdge and Suncoast Technical College (STC) to offer a free fast-track HVAC Installation and Maintenance program which will launch in January. The employers are looking for a way to recruit and rapidly train people for a very specific skill set, namely the installation and maintenance process, and then develop these employees further over time through internships and apprenticeship programs. CareerEdge brought the employers and college together to determine the industry’s workforce needs and to identify the specific curriculum components of this program, which will be a condensed version of STC’s HVAC Technician program. The tuition-free class will begin January 21, 2020 and run through June with classes held in the evening Monday-Wednesday from (5:30 pm to 9:00 pm) at STC’s main campus 4748 Beneva Road Sarasota, FL 34233. The program will also include CareerEdge’s Bridges to Careers soft skills training. HVAC company representatives will volunteer to teaching modules in the class in order to enhance the hands-on, real-world nature of the program. Funding for the program is made possible by the Eppard Family Foundation and the generous support from the local HVAC business community. Applicants eligibility includes having a clean background, agree to a background and drug test prior to starting the training, a valid and clean driver’s license, ability to lift 75 lbs., physically capable to be in attics, high temperature environment. Graduates are guaranteed jobs with the participating employers, at an average starting wage of $15.00 per hour. No technical experience is required for this training and all interested applicants, will need to apply for the free program and be screened by the college and employers. Interested applicants must be Sarasota or Manatee county residents and apply by Friday, November 22nd, those selected will be notified and need to attend a mandatory information session. https://careeredgefunders.org/bridges-to-careers/ ### About CareerEdge Funders Collaborative CareerEdge Funder’s Collaborative is an innovative partnership of business, government, and philanthropic organizations that leverages public and private dollars to provide opportunities for better jobs and wages in Manatee and Sarasota counties. CareerEdge is the workforce development initiative of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. For more information about CareerEdge and its partners, please visit www.careeredgefunders.org or call 941.556.4029. About the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization that works to cultivate Sarasota's prosperity and quality of life through our member businesses, for more information please call (941) 955-8187 or visit us at www.sarasotachamber.com.