JVS revives HVACR program with veteran instructor at the helm

Growing interest has led the Jefferson County Joint Vocational School to bring back its HVACR program for both students and adults, with Keith Kaczor serving as instructor.

Kaczor will teach the program to incoming juniors and seniors this fall. He also is leading an accelerated summer adult career training session. HVACR stands for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration and offers a range of job opportunities.

Kaczor said the field continues to expand and needs workers. He added that he has watched former students move on to internships and jobs within the industry.

“The career choice is so diversified. There’s residential HVAC, commercial HVAC to work in schools, offices and apartments, plus refrigeration to work on coolers and freezers,” Kaczor said. “There are also opportunities for sales, manufacturing and building automation.”

Kaczor has years of experience working in and teaching the field. He served in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked on fighter planes, then continued his training in industrial maintenance after concluding his service. He attended the Esco Institute in Illinois for HVAC training and later worked for 34 years at West Liberty University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Board of Regents Management/Leadership.

After retiring from West Liberty, he became an instructor of HVACR technology at Belmont College and was later named director of industrial trades, serving in that position until October.

“I had called Belmont to see if there were internships and I took interns there to do maintenance,” he said. “They asked me to be on the advisory board, and then I was an adjunct and fell in love with teaching.”

Kaczor taught for five years and spent two years as director. He said he also built relationships with area guidance counselors and school officials from Edison to Bridgeport as a substitute teacher, which helped him become accustomed to working with middle and high school students.

He eventually learned an HVAC program might restart at the JVS and pursued the opportunity. Since taking the position, he has worked with school leaders to establish the lab and acquire equipment, supplies and curriculum.

Kaczor and JVS Adult Education Director Jim Hilton worked together to establish the summer training course, which focuses on basic refrigeration. Students also have an opportunity to test for and earn three industry credentials, including the EPA refrigeration license.

“Keith has 11 students enrolled in the HVAC course and on Day 1, as the students left, I heard several of them saying what a great class it was. They have been eager each day to return, with several arriving to class early,” Hilton said. “He has brought in several pieces of equipment for the students to explore in class — taking theory directly to hands-on application. He's keeping them engaged and providing a rich foundation for them to excel as technicians. They recently took their first certification exam and 10 of the 11 passed — with several of the students scoring 95% or higher and 70% being required for passing. It is evident that Keith is passionate about the content and he is passing this on to his students. He and I have already briefly chatted about future long- and short-term classes.”

The current heavy equipment operation lab will be remodeled for the HVACR program. Kaczor said he also is seeking business partnerships for scholarships, internships and job opportunities.

“We are starting from scratch, so I had to identify the curriculum that teaches comprehensive tasks for the two-year high school program. The trade has changed so much, going from analog to digital, and now students can download an app to see temperature changes in real time on their phone,” he said. “I’m also looking for sponsorships for investments into these students’ lives. I’m interested in scholarships, internships and job opportunities."

He also has formed an advisory committee with involvement from local and national companies. Representatives will visit the classroom for lectures and demonstrations, and students can learn about career options. Kaczor said the field is not male-dominated and there are scholarships and related opportunities for female students.

“There are so many opportunities for STEM because this is a stepping stone for mechanical and electrical engineering, so no matter what the student’s background is, there is a place for them in HVAC,” he said. “Because it’s new, we have an opportunity to do something wonderful for students and impact future generations to come.”

Anyone seeking more information or any companies interested in supporting the program may contact the school at 740-264-5545 or keith.kaczor@jeffjvs.org.