Secretary Cardona, Senator Smith, Representative Craig tour HVAC and ECMT
Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) welcomed the “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar” to the college’s campus in Rosemount, Minnesota, Friday, September 8, 2023. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona along with U.S. Senator Tina Smith and U.S. Representative Angie Craig visited the HVAC & Refrigeration Technology and Electrical Construction & Maintenance Technology (ECMT) program areas on the fourth day of the tour. The event was titled, “Career and Technical Education.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education press release, the five-state road trip is designed to “showcase the many ways schools, families, and communities are doubling down on accelerating student learning and raising the bar in education.”
Secretary Cardona states in the release: “This year’s Back to School Bus Tour will demonstrate how states, districts, schools and higher education institutions, with strong support and investment from the Biden-Harris Administration, are already working boldly and creatively to Raise the Bar for education in our country—from fostering academic recovery to investing in mental health supports, strengthening and supporting the educator workforce to expanding out-of-school time programs, and building new career pathways to efforts to increase college access and affordability.”
Joining the secretary, senator, and representative in Tour Group 1 were American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, Minnesota Education Commissioner Willie Jett, DCTC and Inver Hills Community College President Michael Berndt, DCTC Dean of Transportation, Construction, and Manufacturing Jason Wetzel, and DCTC and Inver Hills Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications Lisé Freking .
Tour Group 2 included DCTC Director of Admissions Heath Baumgard, Dakota County United Educators Union President Kate Schmidt, Education Minnesota President Denise Specht, IUOE Local 49 Representative and DCTC Alumnus Gabe Krebs, DCTC Student Senate President Max Mallory, Automotive Technician Instructor and MSCA Union Representative Matt Boudinot, and DCTC Student Senate Vice President Alexis Nordling.
ECMT Instructor Ron Gruenes and HVAC Instructor Torry Jeranek served as program area guides during the tours. The “Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar” at DCTC also featured a Roundtable Discussion in the Dakota Room.
“It was powerful to hear national education leaders voicing the same aspirations for career and technical education as our students—not everyone needs a four-year degree,” said Michael Berndt, DCTC president. “CTE education can lead to high-wage jobs. The trades offer viable career pathways to meaningful work that make a lasting impact on our communities. It was terrific to hear how well these leaders understood what our students already know about why CTE education is so important.”
“Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar” at DCTC gallery
View more event photos by visiting the DCTC Flickr album:
Back to School Bus Tour 2023 at DCTC
Learn more about the event and DCTC by contacting:
Lisé Freking
Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications
Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College
Photo: U.S. Department of Education
More about HVAC & Refrigeration Technology at DCTC…
The Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program provides you with the entry-level knowledge and skills you’ll need to safely install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair today’s technologically advanced HVAC/R systems.
Through group discussions, lectures, and hands-on laboratory experience with actual HVAC/R equipment, you will learn what it takes to launch a successful career in this exciting and challenging industry career.
The program will prepared to take and pass the required EPA Section 608 refrigerant handling certification exam. You should bring strong basic math skills and a mechanical aptitude.
Work conditions…
HVAC/R technicians must be able to work independently in extreme conditions at all hours of the day and night. Technician work in attics, basements, and crawlspaces and on rooftops, experiencing the cold of winter and the heat and humidity of summer.
Occasional heavy lifting, working off ladders or scaffolding and being comfortable with heights are also potential requirements. HVAC/R technicians should expect to be on call and work after hours and some weekends.
Potential job titles
- Residential and/or Commercial HVAC/R Service Technician
- Residential and/or Commercial HVAC/R Installer
- Sheet Metal Fabrication and Installation
- HVAC/R Equipment and Parts Salesperson
LEARN MORE…
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Install, repair, and maintain the building systems that control temperature.
WAGE
This career pays above the statewide median of $24.25/hour
Minnesota
Median: $33.39/hour
High: $41.06/hourSeven-county Twin Cities metro
Median: $39.78/hour
High: $45.73/hourOUTLOOK
In Minnesota, there are 4,490 workers employed in this medium-sized career, which is currently in high demand. There will be a need for about 3,988 new Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers to meet market demand between 2020–2030 This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
— Minnesota State CAREERwise Education (September 7, 2023)
More about Electrical Construction & Maintenance Technology at DCTC…
The Electrical Construction & Maintenance Technology (ECMT) program at Dakota County Technical College gives you the hands-on experience you need to obtain an entry-level position in electrical construction, installation, operation and maintenance occupations.
The ECMT program delivers technical courses in electrical/electronics theory plus the installation, maintenance, wiring, and testing of electrical/electronic apparatus and control devices through the application of the National Electrical Code.
As a student in the ECMT program, you have the option of earning the 81-credit Electrical Construction & Maintenance Technology A.A.S. degree or the 75-credit Electrical Construction & Maintenance Technology diploma.
Working indoors and outdoors, electricians must be safety conscious at all times. They find work with electrical contractors, technology system contractors and manufacturers of electrical equipment as well as registered employers that only perform electrical work in facilities they own or lease. Electricians can also succeed as small business owners.
Employment in this field typically requires successful completion of the Minnesota Electrical Licensing Exam.
Electricians
Install and repair electrical wiring in homes and businesses.
WAGE
Above the statewide median of $24.25/hour
Minnesota
Median: $35.79/hour
High: $46.04/hourSeven-county Twin Cities metro
Median: $39.45/hour
High: $50.25/hourOUTLOOK
In Minnesota, there are 11,850 workers employed in this large career, which is currently in very high demand. There will be a need for about 11,760 new Electricians to meet market demand between 2020-2030. This includes the demand due to replacement (workers leaving the occupation or retiring) as well as growth.
This career is seeing high growth compared to other careers. Growth rate in the U.S. is 9.1 percent.
— Minnesota State CAREERwise Education (September 7, 2023)
