A sluggish economy has not dampened the spirits of a father and son who plan to open a family heating and air conditioning business in Northeast Tennessee in 2009. Michael Vaughn of Kingsport, a displaced worker, and his son, Frank of Church Hill, a construction worker and handyman, are currently enrolled in the HVAC/Refrigeration training program at the Tennessee Technology Center at Elizabethton.
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| Frank Vaughn and his father, Michael, from left, are pictured in the HVAC training lab at the Tennessee Technology Center in Elizabethton |
The two are expected to graduate next fall after completing the 18-month HVAC training program. Their business plans got a kick start after Michael's employer, Quebecor, closed its plant in Kingsport, forcing Michael to seek employment elsewhere.
Michael, a 30-year veteran machine and fork lift operator, visited the Tennessee Career Center in Kingsport and learned about the HVAC/Refrigeration training program. He then contacted Frank to ask him to join him as a student in the HVAC training program. "I always wanted to work with my son to help him and his future. Eventually, I would like to get my daughter and grandchildren involved and make it a family thing," Michael said.
At TTC-Elizabethton, HVAC students work as a team in the classroom and in the shop. Peer groups are in different levels of training. It allows students to build on the strength of each other in the learning process. "The Vaughn's are excellent students and a role model for other students," said Scott Simerly, HVAC instructor.
According to Michael, the HVAC training program is more difficult than he thought it was going to be. "We help each other. Scott knows all about it….we try to work it out ourselves. If we have to go to Scott, he is quick to show us the right way. With the help of the instructor, you learn a lot. For example, we got to install a unit (HVAC) after just four months of training," Michael said.
Rising fuel prices at the pump earlier this year was almost too much to bare, especially for Frank, who drives more than 100 miles per day from his residence in Church Hill to attend class 30 hours per week at the Technology Center on Arney Street in Elizabethton.
In an effort to reduce student travel costs, TTC-Elizabethton reduced from five to four the number of school days per week. "That greatly reduced the financial strain. We were having difficulty paying $4 per gallon to travel to school five days per week," Frank said.
TTC-Elizabethton is an EPA Certified Testing Center. Michael said he and Frank hope to receive EPA certification in a variety of HVAC areas before they complete the training.
There are various exit points in the HVAC training program at TTC-Elizabethton. Certificate Awards are presented in HVAC Installer and Service Helper in four months; Domestic Unit Repairer, EPA Certification and Sheet Metal in eight months; Diploma Awards in HVAC Technical and Refrigeration Technician in 12 months and Commercial Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Technician in 20 months.
The tuition is $2,286 per year to attend TTC-Elizabethton as a full-time student. The Tennessee Lottery scholarship pays $2,000 and the Federal Pell Grant $4,731 per year to qualifying students.