Our News, Events, and Blog

Alternatives to Incarceration

 

HVACTA – January/February Boasting a 100% Gainful HVAC Employment

The greatest news being all participants completing the January/March six-week HVAC workshop are HVAC employed! When it comes to getting you along the HVAC journey, I can’t think of a better and more efficient method than HVAC Technical Academy.

A huge thank you to each participant, their guests, family, CareerSource of Central Florida, TruTech Tools, Johnstone Supply, The ESCO Group, Kalos Service, Inc., Dirk and the folks from Visual 3d, and Carrier Enterprise for their support and belief in our mission to bring all, no matter their background and circumstance, and opportunity to gain personal and professional success!

HVACTA: Mini Split Swap

Getting you in the know, a mini split system is a ductless heating and cooling solution composed of an outdoor compressor unit and one or more indoor air handlers

Break Down to Braze to Evaporator Coil Clean to …

Interested in entering the HVAC Industry? HVAC Technical Academy can get you there in six weeks, give me a call to chat. This does come with a warning… be prepared to work every day, our learn by doing approach is the real thing.

Empowering the Justice-Involved

HVACTA – January/February Boasting a 100% Gainful HVAC Employment

The greatest news being all participants completing the January/March six-week HVAC workshop are HVAC employed! When it comes to getting you along the HVAC journey, I can’t think of a better and more efficient method than HVAC Technical Academy.

A huge thank you to each participant, their guests, family, CareerSource of Central Florida, TruTech Tools, Johnstone Supply, The ESCO Group, Kalos Service, Inc., Dirk and the folks from Visual 3d, and Carrier Enterprise for their support and belief in our mission to bring all, no matter their background and circumstance, and opportunity to gain personal and professional success!

HVACTA: Mini Split Swap Concludes

Can you say, “up and running?” I certainly hope so as the group completed the installation (from scratch) a double headed mini split. We are talking, doing it all!

HVACTA: Mini Split Swap

Getting you in the know, a mini split system is a ductless heating and cooling solution composed of an outdoor compressor unit and one or more indoor air handlers

Career

 

HVAC Heat Pump: What’s it All About?

Over the past few weeks, we reviewed a crazy little thing called Straight Cool… now it’s time to get busy with Heat Pump Systems.Heat Pump Systems:...

Philip Nguyen joins 2nd Chance University

“I am excited to work with 2nd Chance University for giving me the opportunity to help our military veterans as well as our justice involved persons achieve gainful employment.”

Take charge of your career in six weeks!

Take charge of your career in six weeks!2nd Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy reminding everyone the HVAC Service program launches.For...

Bringing Life Changing Programs

What can 2nd Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy do for your personal and professional development?Life-Long Career in Six WeeksOne-on-one...

SET…GO

Our 18-book workshop series features justice-involved individuals. Students will come to identify with many. Shortly we will introduce Stick and...

Career Performance Excellence

With a New Year and an opportunity to partner with seasoned career professionals trained to “equip and empower YOU to become an excellent employee,”...

Employment, Experience, Education

In our continuing effort to assist those during their career lifecycle, the following comes in response to a recent question posed by Michael: “I am...

Delivering Career Diligence

As a business owner, professional writer, and career management specialist, I am often asked “what separates a good employee from a great employee.”...

Career Snapshot: Framing Shadowman

In the not-too distant past, Artist Square’s Racquel Cruz was able to shine light on one of Orlando’s art scene icon, Richard Diaz. Through his...

Career Breakout: Holiday Networking

The end of the year does not mean the end of career networking. Quite the opposite, NOW is the ideal time to spread the news of your value and...

Incarceration

OK, I was Wrong

Held at the Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens in Sanford, the folks attending (and operating) were not what I had expected or were accustomed to. Professional, courteous, respectful, and genuinely interested are just a few words summarizing the experience.

Sleep and Escape

As Stick mentions, everyone wears white as well as time, but some are inmates and some are convicts. If you were to go prison, do you picture yourself as an inmate or as a convict (why one and not the other)?

Robert and Accepting Defeat

I’m Robert. I work in construction, or at least I did until a few months ago. Boss fired me because the company wasn’t doing well. I know they are getting plenty of business so I’m pretty upset about not working; probably has to do with my arrest.

Inmate

2nd Chance University: We…

2nd Chance University has lived its design, writes about what we know concerning our years of empirical findings and shares what works by applying...

1+1 Equals…..Well, That Depends

Statistics and numbers have their uses, mostly depending upon the agenda spinners manipulating them. While numbers reveal much about a particular...

Parole

Mixed Messages

Deciphering the President’s Take on Criminal Justice Reform President Trump brought criminal justice reform to the forefront of the political debate...

President Trump

President Trump Signs First Step Act into Law,

Just signed (presented by The Council of State Governments Justice Center Staff): President Trump signed into law bipartisan legislation today to...

Mixed Messages

Deciphering the President’s Take on Criminal Justice Reform President Trump brought criminal justice reform to the forefront of the political debate...

Youth Empowerment

HVAC Heat Pump: What’s it All About?

Over the past few weeks, we reviewed a crazy little thing called Straight Cool… now it’s time to get busy with Heat Pump Systems.Heat Pump Systems:...

HVAC Technical Academy, a quick rest between projects

Nicholas taking a quick break between projects. Keeping the fast pace of the HVAC Service Technician Industry, we keep things moving… that’s one reason why HVAC Technical Academy graduates are sought after by HVAC Companies throughout Central Florida

2nd Chance University Open House

2nd Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy Open House is scheduled for January 12th at our 2175 Marquette Avenue facility between 2:00 pm and...

Recidivism

HVAC Classes in 3 Weeks

2nd Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy HVAC classes begin in three weeks! Visit or call HVAC Technical Academy today for details.In six...

Jamais vu

For a moment, place yourself in his shoes and imagine how your life would be if you were locked away for the next 13 years.

Sanity and Steel Doors

In prison, sanity is balanced by lost years and steel doors. Stick takes our workshop audiences on a quick mental venture as he compares freedom to lines captivity.

Reentry

HVACTA: New System Installation – Getting Close

Allowing challenges, hands-on learning, and frustration to ride shotgun, the group is progressing nicely. All three systems are scheduled to be up and operating before end of Tuesday… and you know what that means? You guessed it, plenum, distribution boxes, flex, and registers will be next in line… how exciting this is becoming!

HVACTA: New System Installation Day 2

Second day is another day of progress through frustration, challenge, and opportunity. Our philosophy being without struggle, there is no growth. Throughout the day, many became frustrated but ALL progressed… and that is what we are all about.

HVACTA: Supply Plenum

For those who experienced discoloration (cannot say the “m” word here) atop your air handler, improper plenum construction and implementation is most likely the cause. One of the many hands-on tasks at HVAC Technical Academy is constructing supply plenum.

Release

2CU and HVAC Technical Academy

Central Florida HVAC Training2nd Chance University and HVAC Technical Academy bringing life-changing programs to Central Florida by preparing...

Steven’s Doubled CHE Quotient

Last time we stopped abruptly in the middle of Steven’s story, time to check out how his CHE Quotient — not too worry, for those not in the CHE...

2nd Chance

2025: Success Takes ACTION

December means a great deal of different things to a great number of people. For many, December is a month for dreams, reflection, and...

RTU Breakdown

Participants never know what our “learn by doing” HVAC Workshops will be from day to day. Interactive with real-world application, today was about a rooftop unit… and you missed out!

Today at HVAC Technical Academy: Package Unit PM

Getting a solid understanding on package units is part of the territory for HVAC technicians. Today our students performed a complete pm…