Valdosta, GA. The comfort of air conditioning during the scorching hot summers of South Georgia is a luxury many cherish, yet often overlook the skilled professionals who ensure its uninterrupted operation. Recognizing the critical need for trained HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) technicians. The heating and air conditioning of our homes and businesses are luxuries that many of us take for granted until it doesn’t work properly. Studies show that the HVAC as a career field is slowly fading away. Those who are in the field are retiring and not many are considering or aware of this as a career option. This problem is one of the reasons why Wiregrass Tech’s Air Conditioning Technology program is on the HOPE Career Grant list. The HOPE Career Grant is a list of programs created by the state for students enrolled in select majors specifically aligned with one of the 12 industries in Georgia for which there are more jobs available than there are skilled workers to fill them.
A shining example of Wiregrass Tech’s impact is Jason Godwin, co-owner of Twin Air Heating and Cooling in Adel, GA. Jason a Wiregrass graduate and his twin brother Jamie have emerged as passionate advocates for the HVAC trade. Transitioning from unrelated careers, the brothers found their calling in HVAC, drawing inspiration from family members who prospered in the industry. Jason and his twin brother Jamie are the proud owners of the Heating and Cooling business and have become ambassadors for the trade. The brothers both had careers in other fields and learned the trade between other jobs and they grew up with family members who had successful HVAC businesses. Jason enrolled in Wiregrass and graduated in 2017 with a diploma in Air Conditioning Technology. It wasn’t until February 2019 that he and his brother opened Twin Air. With 10 years of experience overall in the field Jason had this to share about his time at Wiregrass Tech, “I was taught the history behind air conditioning, the principals and science of the mechanics of the systems that was not able to be learned from anyone I knew in the field. I learned new processes of testing components with and without voltage.” This spring the brothers were helping work the Wiregrass Tech table at a career fair at Cook Middle School. They brought displays and talked with students sharing their passion for the trade and hopefully sparked some interest for this cool career. Jason shared, ‘I fully believe a formal education would be beneficial to someone going into this trade as well as working in the trade as it’s very beneficial learning hands-on in this line of work. Tech school does help teach the fundamentals that work well with employment in the industry. There is so much potential for growth and advancement in this industry from working with a company locally, opening your own business, or even going to work for the manufacturers and distributors in Georgia and across the country.” Even though Jason had learned some of the skills needed on his own attending Wiregrass helped establish him as a business owner. “Mrs. Kathy Ballard (Wiregrass Air Conditioning Technology Program Coordinator) was an instrumental influence on my education and future endeavors. She was very good at breaking down the information for kids with no experience in the field at all. She even supported us after I graduated and came to our ribbon cutting when we opened.”
You can follow the Wiregrass graduate on social media or visit their website at twinairhvac.com to learn more about their cool business. They recently were voted “The Best of Tifton 2024” in a customer contest through the local paper. Wiregrass will be accepting new students in Air Conditioning for Fall Semester. Classes start August 12 and those applying during Free Application Week, June 10 – 14 will have their application fee waived. To learn more or to apply online visit Wiregrass.edu.
