Santa Rosa County Business Journal

Santa Rosa County

AN 850 BUSINESS MAGAZINE SPECIAL REPORT

2019 BUSINESS JOURNAL

EDUCATION / EMPLOYMENT / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

County of Choice Santa Rosa capitalizes on its quality of life

“commuting patterns” in what might be called a “needs improvement” category. Among Santa Rosa County residents, 18,470 both live and work in the county, while the county’s population totaled 170,063 in 2016, according to sources including the U.S. Economic Census Bureau. The number of Santa development director Shannon Rosa residents who commute to jobs Ogletree cites outside the county stood at 38,199. outstanding Garner also listed the paucity of startschools and up businesses as a negative indicator and affordable encouraged Santa Rosa County and its housing as Santa Rosa County economic development organization positives.

(EDO) to “enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

So it was that Ogletree was out seeking a home for an incubator. “It’s important to be willing to try something different,” he said.

Doing things differently can result in differentiation from other communities seeking employers, a dynamic as important to economic developers as it is to businesses trying to distinguish themselves from their competitors.

It was a point strongly made by Garner analysts who called upon the county and its EDO to “be more outward facing to market and differentiate Santa Rosa so as to attract target business sectors.”

Optimal targets, Garner found, were:

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that is expected to increase by nearly 2 percent per year through 2025. The county grew by 27,514 residents between 2006 and 2016.

“We have available and affordable housing,” Ogletree began to tick off the county’s desirable attributes. “We are growing but not at a rate that is inflating home construction costs.

We are a top-10 school district in Florida. We have a low crime rate. Here, people still get to know their neighbors.”

Ogletree once lived next door in Escambia County but moved his family to Santa Rosa County after his children were born, a decision based on quality-of-life factors.

Positive indicators cited by Garner included educational attainment, household income, a relatively modest cost of living and the capacity to attract labor.

But there were three negative factors, which were sure to attract Ogletree’s attention.

Garner placed “labor force participation” and

 Aviation and support services  Distribution and logistics  Health services/research

and medical technology

 Business services

 Agriculture and marine research

The targets were selected based on the “unique competitive advantages of the region.”

For example, aviation and support services emerged as a target given advantages including:  Major military aviation installations in the area  Strong regional profile of existing aviation firms  Proximity to large aircraft assembly operations  High number of military veterans with

aviation and technical skills

 High concentrations of employment in

several aviation fields

 Relevant training available at the

George Stone Center

PHOTO BY STEPHAN VANCE

S

hannon Ogletree, the director of Santa Rosa Economic Development, is fresh from a bit of a shopping expedition. He has been hunting space for a small business incubator.

In April of last year, the agency that Ogletree heads took delivery of a five-year strategic plan for economic development in Santa Rosa County. The document, prepared by Garner Economics LLC of Atlanta, assessed the county in terms of 22 economic indicators.

Of the total, 14 were deemed positive and attractive, five were seen as neutral and just three were judged to be negative.

A good result, but perhaps not surprising for a place that has emerged, Ogletree said, as a “county of choice.”

That is, people who, owing to telecommuting and other ways of the modern world might choose to live anywhere, are landing in Santa Rosa County. The result is population growth 24

by STEVE BORNHOFT

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Let Us Work for You

Santa Rosa County is preparing your future workforce, today

Santa Rosa County’s comprehensive Career Academy program is only one example of our commitment to expanding a capable workforce. Over 65 Career Academies equip high school students with the skills required for in-demand industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, or energy. At over 74,000 strong, our workforce is ready for you now — and ready to grow with you.

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CAREER ACADEMIES

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GRADUATION RATE

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(850) 623-0174 • shannon@santarosa.fl.gov or visit SantaRosaEDO.com 850 Business Magazine

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SANTA ROSA COUNTY SEES RAPID GROWTH

Santa Rosa County’s population could reach 180,000 by 2020, according to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, an increase of more than 62,000 residents in 20 years. While Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the country, Santa Rosa’s population gains are outpacing the statewide figure.

1.9%

ANNUAL POPULATION GROWTH PROJECTED THROUGH 2025

Ogletree is on board with all of that. He views aviation as the No. 1 employment sector for Northwest Florida, having taken note of the arrivals of GKN Engineering in Bay County and ST Engineering at the Pensacola International Airport.

“The strategic plan offered us a clear direction, and we’ve been checking boxes,” he said. “We’re focused on the incubator idea. The County Commission has approved the construction of a spec building at our I-10 Industrial Park. We visited with a cybersecurity company to look at its current operations and to understand what they might establish here. Currently, they have 1,000 employees, and it is possible that their existing business could be replicated here.”

And, yes, there is the aviation piece.

Last year, the Triumph Gulf Coast board executed a contract with Santa Rosa County relative to its award of $8.52 million for infrastructure, roads and utilities at a planned aircraft repair facility at Naval Air Station Whiting Field. That development, Ogletree said, figures to be a game changer capable of giving Santa Rosa County a leg up in the increasingly crowded Northwest Florida aerospace space.

“We recognize that there is a pent-up demand for services related to aviation in our area, and we are home to a lot of military retirees,” Ogletree said. “We need to ask ourselves how we can best keep those individuals here.

“How do we take their skills and market them to outside companies? If you are in Topeka, Kansas, and having a hard time finding employees or if you are in Connecticut and you don’t want to have to pay $30 an hour to union employees, consider us. We don’t 26

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have the high cost of living or the taxes that Connecticut, for example, has. A GKN supplier left Connecticut to come to Bay County.”

Too, Ogletree, an accomplished marketer, is embracing marketing suggestions made by Garner. (In 2018, Ogletree was named to a list of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect.)

Garner advocated a strategy whereby Ogletree et al would “share Santa Rosa County’s business opportunity story with targeted internal and external audiences.”

To do so, Garner advocates steps including:  Crafting Santa Rosa County’s story

 Launching a digital ambassadors campaign  Advancing the Santa Rosa

EDO’s online presence  Rethinking approaches to digital media  Influencing influencers  Testing a new approach to collateral materials  Leveraging trade shows  Developing marketing partners  Creating creative, dimensional direct mail to best-bet companies “I’m not a huge fan of social media, but we will get more information pushed out via Facebook and other platforms,” Ogletree said. “And, we are redeveloping our marketing materials.”

Assuredly, Ogletree can change gears. As a college student, he started out in computer programming, switched his major to physics and wound up with a business degree.

“I had enough credits for two degrees when I graduated,” Ogletree recalled.

1,500

NEW HOMES WILL NEED TO BE BUILT ANNUALLY TO MEET ANTICIPATED POPULATION GROWTH

47

CAREER ACADEMIES AND TRAINING PROGRAMS

4TH

HIGHEST MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

38,199 RESIDENTS COMMUTE TO JOBS OUTSIDE SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Sources: Garner Economics LLC, Santa Rosa Economic Development

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANTA ROSA EDO/DUNCAN MCCALL ADVERTISING (MILITARY BASE)

The presence of a military installation like Naval Air Station Whiting Field helps Santa Rosa County compete for aviation businesses.

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INDUSTRIAL PARKS

Industrial Park Place Santa Rosa County taking steps to lure tenants

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orthwest Florida counties tend to be “land rich and building poor,” said Shannon Ogletree, the director of Santa Rosa Economic Development.

Santa Rosa is trying to escape that generalization by at least 50,000 square feet, maybe 100,000.

The Santa Rosa County Commission has committed to the construction of a spec building at its 90-acre I-10 Industrial Park.

Infrastructure is in place at the site, which a distributor from the Southeast is having a close look at. Ogletree, at this writing, said he and the county are narrowing down possible incentives that will be offered to the prospect.

If the hoped-for deal is made, the distributor would bring 400 jobs to the county in the first phase of its build-out.

“They would require lots of truckers,” Ogletree said. “Over half of their employees would be truckers.”

The spec building, at 50,000 square feet, could be divided into two spaces. Or it could be expanded to more than 100,000 square feet.

“Having an available manufacturing Major tenants at the Santa Rosa Industrial Park include Navy Federal Credit Union and Goldring Gulf Distributing.

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by STEVE BORNHOFT

building, with eight dock doors, a 6-inch slab and a 32-foot eave height will attract prospects, Ogletree is convinced.

“It’s just like sales,” Ogletree emphasized.

“Whatever will continue to get us the most looks gives us the best chance. Buildings are in short supply, especially on I-10.”

The county owns four industrial parks in total in various stages of development.

WHITING AVIATION PARK

In 2017, the Triumph Gulf Coast Board gave preliminary approval to the county’s request for $8.52 million with which to pay for infrastructure, roads and utility extensions that will serve an aircraft repair facility at the park. The approval was formalized by contract last year.

“We’ve selected Moffitt-Nichols as the design firm to put the utilities in,” Ogletree said. “The design work should be complete by midsummer with construction starting shortly after that. Soon, it will be

possible for companies who want in at Whiting to begin construction of their own facilities, even as work on park improvements continues.”

Ogletree said “various companies” have been attracted to the park’s relationship to Naval Air Station Whiting Field and the availability of limited use agreements allowing for touches at the Navy’s 6,000-foot runway. Most of the interested companies are in the business of maintaining, repairing and overhauling aircraft, but a couple have talked about manufacturing operations, according to Ogletree.

The realization of the aviation park has been a long time coming. The concept is at least 16 years old, dating to a conversation between thenCounty Commissioner W.D. “Don” Salter and Commodore Terrance “Rufus” G. Jones, who was the training wing commander at Whiting Field. The two men talked about how development adjoining Whiting Field, given an adequate buffer separating commercial operations and those of the Navy, would benefit the county’s economic interests.

“Receiving the funding to put the infrastructure in is what we needed,” Ogletree said. “If it weren’t for Triumph and Chairman Gaetz, who worked closely with us, none of this would have happened, the park never would have been realized. We went from scuffling to real progress.”

PHOTOS BY STEPHAN VANCE (AERIAL) AND COURTESY OF SANTA ROSA COUNTY EDO/ DUNCAN MCCALL ADVERTISING (SIGN, GOLDRING DISTRIBUTING AND CAPE HORN); RENDERING COURTESY OF WHITING AVIATION PARK (TOP RIGHT)

SANTA ROSA INDUSTRIAL PARK EAST

The proximity of the future Whiting Aviation Park to Naval Air Station Whiting Field has attracted the attention of businesses shopping for sites; below, a Goldring Distributing employee operates a forklift.

The park is home to a Cape Horn boats manufacturing facility, and the county has agreed to lease 15 acres to Pensacola State College for a truck driver training school at the site.

“Nationwide, the need for truck drivers has skyrocketed,” Ogletree said. “Think about how we are ordering goods every day and how they are delivered. Up to that last mile when it is delivered to your house, delivery drivers are in demand more and more to get goods to the distribution centers. The school will help provide companies with the employees they need to accomplish their goals.”

SANTA ROSA INDUSTRIAL PARK

Navy Federal Credit Union and Goldring Gulf Distributing have presences at the park, which is “basically built out with very few acres left,” Ogletree said.

The park is home to a Cape Horn boats manufacturing facility, and the county has agreed to lease 15 acres to Pensacola State College for a truck driver training school at the site.

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CAREER ACADEMIES

Proliferation of Pathways Academics give way to academies

by THOMAS J. MONIGAN

T

oday’s generation on the rise faces multiple challenges when it comes to an increasingly complex job market.

For the past four-plus years, a unique partnership has provided answers to these challenges in the form of Santa Rosa Career Pathways.

“It’s a joint program between the Santa Rosa County School District and the Santa Rosa Economic Development Office,” said Charlin Knight, “and we utilize the data that’s provided to us by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.”

Knight is the director of workforce education for the county’s public schools. Her partner in the project is Tina Stewart, the business development manager for the county’s economic development office.

The program is connected with eight middle schools, six high schools and one technical college.

With recent additions at Gulf Breeze, Jay and Milton, there are 16 middle school academies, 48 high school academies and 20 technical college post-secondary programs. Some middle school students attend the academies at Central School and Jay High School.

During the 2017-2018 school year, students earned 2,127 industry certifications in these programs, according to Knight.

“It’s really serving two purposes,” Knight said. “It makes sure our students and parents have the information they need to make choices about their students’ career pathway, and it also provides folks who are looking at this area as a possible talent pipeline to be able to look and see what we’re training our students to do.”

Having the same group of people involved since initiation in 2015 has been important.

“Continuity is important for a project to grow and get better,” Knight said. Duncan McCall Advertising from Pensacola handles the website duties.

“It’s a dynamic site,” Knight said. “We provide the data, the who, what, when and where, and they make it look as good as it does.”

Bryan McCall, one of the owners of the advertising firm, said, “The idea is to showcase what opportunities there are in various categories, and what the jobs are, and what you might expect to get paid in first, next and later scenarios.”

How does that work?

“If you look at the site, you can find what you can do now if you don’t have any training, and what jobs are available with very little training.

Pace High School students including Kylie Broad, photo at top, work on a certification exam in a biotech class.

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Students in a construction academy at Navarre High School can earn up to four nationally recognized certifications from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY CAREER ACADEMIES MIDDLE SCHOOLS AVALON MIDDLE SCHOOL Microsoft I.T. Academy CENTRAL SCHOOL (Grade 6–8) Agribusiness Academy Microsoft I.T. Academy GULF BREEZE MIDDLE SCHOOL Hospitality & Tourism Academy Microsoft I.T. Academy HOBBS MIDDLE SCHOOL Microsoft I.T. Academy HOLLEY NAVARRE MIDDLE SCHOOL Microsoft I.T. Academy

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANTA ROSA EDO/DUNCAN MCCALL ADVERTISING

KING MIDDLE SCHOOL Advanced Manufacturing Academy Culinary Arts Academy Microsoft I.T. Academy SIMS MIDDLE SCHOOL Microsoft I.T. Academy WOODLAWN BEACH MIDDLE SCHOOL Digital Literacy Academy Microsoft I.T. Academy

HIGH SCHOOLS CENTRAL SCHOOL (Grades 9–12) Agribusiness Academy Digital Design Academy

Microsoft I.T. Academy Sodexo Culinary Academy GULF BREEZE HIGH SCHOOL Health & Medical Professions Academy Hospitality & Tourism Academy Multimedia Design & Technology Academy JAY HIGH SCHOOL Agritechnology Academy Building Construction Academy Commercial Arts Academy Culinary Arts Academy Digital Design Academy Health Science Academy Microsoft I.T. Academy MILTON HIGH SCHOOL Accounting and Finance Academy Advanced Manufacturing Academy Agritechnology Academy Aviation Academy Culinary Arts Academy Digital Multimedia Academy Entrepreneurship Academy Gaming & Simulation Academy Hospitality & Tourism Academy Television Production Academy Web Development Academy NAVARRE HIGH SCHOOL Biotech Academy Construction Academy

Digital Multimedia Academy Engineering Academy Web Development Academy PACE HIGH SCHOOL Biotech Academy Communication & Graphic Arts Academy Culinary Arts Academy Entrepreneurship Academy LOCKLIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE (Serving grades 11 and 12, as well as adult students) Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Technology Apprenticeship - Air Conditioning, Refrigeration & Heating Technology Applied Cybersecurity Automotive Service Technology 1 Automotive Service Technology 2 Certified Nursing Assistant Computer Systems & Information Technology Commercial Foods and Culinary Arts Electrician Electricity Legal Administrative Specialist Massage Therapy Medical Administrative Specialist Nursing Assistant Pharmacy Technician Practical Nursing (LPN) Welding Technology Welding Technology Advanced Welding Technology Fundamentals

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CAREER ACADEMIES

During the 2017-2018 school year, students earned 2,127 industry certifications in these programs.

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Next would be two to four years of education beyond high school, and later would be with a degree or work experience.

Then it matches that up with what training might be available with each level.”

Stewart is focused on how the academies can enhance economic development efforts.

“We saw a need to increase our workforce, because that is the No. 1 thing a site selector is looking for,” Stewart said. “People might think it would be quality of life or location, but actually, it’s workforce.”

Stewart and Knight have been working together for years.

“We wanted to partner with her to be able to get the word out to students who may not be looking to go to the college level or who might want to learn a skill or trade before they get out of high school,” Stewart said, “just to let them know what their future could hold if they were to follow this pathway.”

Enrollment in academies has increased steadily, and feedback from students and parents has been valuable, Stewart said.

What would she tell those who are unfamiliar with the program?

“I would tell them if they have children who are coming up through the Santa Rosa School District who would like to learn a trade or a certification in things like biotech, or a manufacturing certificate, this would be a way to enter the future workforce,” Stewart said.

Everyone involved is committed to making continuing progress.

“We still are looking at ways to get students even more involved so they can go on and earn their certifications through the adult high school program or though the local technical college,” Stewart said. “We are always working on improving what we have to offer.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANTA ROSA EDO/DUNCAN MCCALL ADVERTISING

Chris Herrin gains experience at an electrical control systems lab station at Milton High School. Below, Advanced Manufacturing Technology students Thomas Klinger and Ally Baca route hexapod robots through a simulated air duct.

A DV E RT I S E M E N T

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here are exciting moves being made by Beck Partners this spring. While the company has a foothold in Pensacola, Tallahassee and Mobile, their recent partnership with Stacy Taylor gives them newfound leverage into the Atlanta market. Taylor joined Beck Partners in 2012 and instantly became a promising leader along with Justin Beck, CEO and President, Kristine Rushing, COO and Risk Consultant, and Reid Rushing, President of their Insurance division.

Working seven years in the company, Taylor’s progress and expertise made him the perfect candidate for partnership. As a new Partner and President of Beck Partners CRE, LLC, Taylor looks forward to working toward the expansion of Beck Partners, saying in a recent interview, “I’m excited about the opportunity to utilize my experience, knowledge and relationships to grow our company in the Atlanta market and throughout Florida and Alabama. Our entire leadership team shares the same vision, which is to give Beck Partners a significant presence in the Southeast. We’re unique in that we offer commercial real estate services, property management and insurance, which gives us leverage as we continue our growth.”

Taylor started his career in 1998 with Grubb & Ellis Company in Atlanta and specialized in office tenant representation while also representing the office development company, Workstage. In 2004, he formed Taylor Real Estate Services, where he continued to work as an office broker. During this time, he was instrumental in the development, marketing, leasing and sales of four office projects in the northern suburbs of Atlanta that total over 700,000 square feet. In 2012, he and his wife relocated to her hometown of Pensacola where he began working with Beck Partners.

“It’s a great team atmosphere, which is rare in commercial real estate,” explained Taylor. “Everybody works in a collaborative effort to grow as individuals and professionals. Justin Beck is a visionary, doing things the right way, and Kristine Rushing does an incredible job integrating and managing all three divisions. I found out very quickly, this was the right place for me.”

Thus far, during his time at Beck, Taylor quickly escalated to Vice President of Brokerage and then to a Partner and President of Beck Partners CRE, LLC. “I’ve always been someone who likes to teach other people,” Taylor said about his partnership. “I’m assuming the role of managing broker role at the company, which allows me to teach and do the things that excite me. With my knowledge of the business and the experience I have, I can add tremendous value to our younger real estate brokers, making them more dynamic.” The idea of a “dynamic, collaborative team” is the epitome of what Taylor sees when he looks into the future of Beck.

“We provide a tremendous amount of local expertise and knowledge not only to our clients, but also the national brokerage companies who don’t have a presence in our market,” Taylor said. The company’s recent partnership with Taylor and its incredible Tallahassee and Mobile assets are proof of Beck Partners’ charismatic and persistent drive to lay its footprints across the entire southeastern part of the country. The company’s professional team culture helps the Beck name thrive among its local communities, not to mention the plethora of services Beck Partners offer to their clients — real estate brokerage, property management and insurance — makes the company a well-rounded group of expert advisors. The company outshines many competitors with this simple fact: They do more, and they do it better.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON BECK PARTNERS, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT TEAMBECK.COM OR CALL (850) 477-7044 850 Business Magazine

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LOCKLIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

School to Work Locklin graduates have lock on finding jobs

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n his last day as a student, Leroylan “Ralo” Birge held two job offers in his hand. At 34, he had completed courses in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) at Locklin Technical College in Milton.

Going to school Monday through Friday for two years, he completed HVAC Tech I and the advanced HVAC Tech II programs. He learned this trade, became skilled and certified and earned his pick of employment offers.

“I haven’t chosen yet,” he said. “One pays $20 an hour, the other $24.”

Either way, he was looking forward to going to work. “It was tough, but it was worth it,” Birge said. He started his family while attending school.

Birge recalled fondly a cold day when the heat at his home went out.

“Five minutes later it was back on,” he said. “If I had had to call someone, we would have waited hours.”

As one of Florida’s 49 school district-operated technical colleges, Locklin prepares high school and adult students like Birge for current and emerging high-demand careers.

The college’s partnerships with business “We serve and industry enable all kinds of students to start their students. careers with high skills If they and high wages in rewarding occupational can find fields: aviation, HVAC, something nursing, phar mac y that they technician, cyberseculike to do and want to rity, computer systems, manufacturing, welding do, they’ll experience a automotive service little success with us and and technology. that’s sometimes enough The college’s career pathways include to get them back on the affordable options for right pathway.” a career-in-a-year in — Maria LaDouceur, Locklin’s principal fields like massage therapy, and also offers advanced, two-year curricula in automotive service technology, welding and HVAC. For a 900-hour program such as computer systems and information technology, tuition and fees for a program leading to certification are $2,662.

“It’s a good deal,” said Maria LaDouceur, Locklin’s principal since 2012.

Before leading the college, LaDouceur was a culinary chef and registered dietitian. She drew upon her career experience to develop her programs of instruction. She said Locklin instructors impart not only theory, but also provide hands-on technical experience.

The college serves both adult and high school students with an average total enrollment of 400 students per year. Adults may utilize financial aid benefits such as veteran’s assistance or Pell Grants.

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by MARTHA J. LAGUARDIA-KOTITE

A student completes a wiring task at Locklin Technical College, where instructors discuss theories and principles and lead handson training exercises.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LOCKLIN TECHNICAL COLLEGE AND SANTA ROSA COUNTY EDO (ELECTRICAL, LEFT)

The college’s partnerships with business and industry enable students to start their careers with high skills and high wages in rewarding occupational fields: aviation, HVAC, nursing, pharmacy technician, cybersecurity, computer systems, manufacturing, welding and automotive service technology.

“We have need of 83,000 technicians in the United States in the next “We’re only going to teach things that a student can go out and get a four years,” said Hamel. “The industry has grown, and air conditioning and job in,” said LaDouceur, referring to the career training programs offered. human comfort have changed so much. Now, no one builds much more When asked about at-risk students, LaDouceur explained, “We serve all than a dog house without it being comfort cooled.” kinds of students. If they can find something that they like to do and He explained that the demand for HVAC technicians has been fueled want to do, they’ll experience a little success with us and that’s sometimes by residential growth and increasing energy costs that lead people to swap enough to get them back on the right pathway.” out older equipment for newer systems, improving efficiency and savings.

Locklin’s pathway for a student to achieve certification departs from a The combination of Locklin’s experienced instructors, facilities and program at a university or college. “We offer post-secondary career certifiaffiliations with businesses and industry means students are readily hired cates, not associate or bachelor’s degrees. They’re not going to come and sit by a variety of employers ranging from auto dealerships to hospitals. in English class here,” said LaDouceur. “They are totally immersed in the For LaDouceur, her years as a registered dietician paired with her nursing or automotive, welding or cybersecurity programs. You’re going to years of teaching as a culinary chef proved valuable when it came time come in really quickly and get the training and skills needed, along with to mixing the ingredients an administrator needs to help students sucthe certifications and go straight to work in a year or less,” LaDouceur said. ceed in their chosen career.

What also sets Locklin apart are highly qualified instruc“If you can’t make a cream puff, you don’t need to be a chef,” tors pulled from business and industry and state-of-art said LaDouceur. “It’s a lot of technique. A lot of science, the facilities that simulate real-life work experiences. The proLocklin temperature of the water, the proportion of ingredients. We gram areas are outfitted with the same equipment students students are rely heavily on our faculty, our business and industry partners are exposed to when they go to work welding, cooking or immersed in to give us guidance on what needs to be done.” fixing cars. Internships are offered, giving potential employcertification programs that LaDouceur added, “I feel like we’re our own little utopia ers a chance to see and experience the student’s talents before are designed to here. I tell people I have one of the best jobs because I can making a job offer. lead to employcome to work, I can get my car and computer fixed, have a Joe Hamel, one of Locklin’s HVAC instructors, said his ment in jobs gourmet meal, then get my blood pressure checked — and students typically graduate with more than one job offer. that pay well.

I’ll probably need to after eating one of those cream puffs.”

Across the country, the need for HVAC skills is in demand.

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