Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut Calif. has just graduated its first HVAC/Mechanical Controls Class using building controls Training Modules and products contributed by Siemens Building Technologies Division. The program was developed for the school by Rick Creed of Air-Ex Air Conditioning in Pomona, a Siemens Value-Added Partner.
The program which falls under the Industrial and Welding Departments at the college was funded under a grant by the California Department of Labor. Currently the course is offered as a government program only to those either underemployed or unemployed. According to Creed however, the college is planning on financing the program itself in mid-2012 and intends to offer it to all students.
The program course work is based on Siemens BACnet Training Modules as well as controls and other Siemens Talon product line devices. Classes are held in a dedicated building that offers five zones to simulate different buildings and building HVAC control issues. The facility enables students not only to learn programming but also installation techniques and controls troubleshooting in a real-world environment.
The entire program is a two year process. Once enrolled, students go through five phases of training—not only at Mt. San Antonio but also at two other colleges: Chaffey College and Rio Hondo College in Rancho Cucamonga and Pico Rivera, Calif. respectively. During the course, students are treated as if they were employed full time, exposed to a real-world working environment which includes an interview process to enter the program. Upon graduation the students receive an Associate’s Degree in Mechanical and Industrial Arts. BD+C
Related Stories
| Sep 12, 2014
Total immersion: Has virtual reality's time finally come?
The emergence of low-cost VR technology means that anyone with a few hundred bucks and a decent workstation can get in the game. But, as our experts reveal, pulling off VR is not so simple.
| Sep 12, 2014
Will on-site parking remain king in the development world?
In spite of the trend away from multi-car residences, not much has changed with regard to parking spot allocations within apartment buildings and other multi-unit residential developments, writes GS&P's Doug Sharp.
| Sep 11, 2014
5 competing designs unveiled for Presidio Parklands in San Francisco
To turn the underdeveloped area by Chrissy Field into new public space, San Francisco's Presidio Trust unveiled the five designs by five teams they invited earlier this year.
| Sep 11, 2014
Cintas invites public to vote for 'America's best restroom'
For the 13th consecutive year, Cintas Corporation is back with its popular America’s Best Restroom Contest. A team of survey editors once again scanned the country for the most creative and clean public restrooms and produced a crop of nominees sure to please.
| Sep 10, 2014
Ranked: Top transit facility sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Leo A Daly, URS, and Skanska head BD+C's rankings of the largest transit facility sector design and construction firms, based on the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 10, 2014
Must See: Shape-shifting architecture that responds to heat
Students in Barcelona have created a composite material using shape memory polymers that can deform and return to their original state when activated by cues like heat, humidity, and light.
| Sep 10, 2014
Lessons for the shore: Bolstering resilience of the built environment
Nearly 32 million people, or 28% of the East Coast's population, live in areas lying within a mile of a shore line. The good news is that municipalities are starting to take action, writes Sasaki Associates.
| Sep 9, 2014
Using Facebook to transform workplace design
As part of our ongoing studies of how building design influences human behavior in today’s social media-driven world, HOK’s workplace strategists had an idea: Leverage the power of social media to collect data about how people feel about their workplaces and the type of spaces they need to succeed.
| Sep 9, 2014
Ranked: Top religious sector AEC firms [2014 Giants 300 Report]
Brasfield & Gorrie, Gensler, and Jacobs top BD+C's rankings of the nation's largest religious sector design and construction firms, as reported in the 2014 Giants 300 Report.
| Sep 9, 2014
Take a look at the hardhat of the future
A Los Angeles-based startup added augmented reality technology to a hardhat, creating a smart helmet.
