Little Red Schoolhouse, UA Form Training Partnership

Xylem’s Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse and the United Assn. union of plumbers, fitters, welders, service techs and roofers have formed a training partnership to equip trade professionals in the HVAC field with the technical expertise to service and repair pumps in an HVAC system.

“Both Bell & Gossett and UA are well respected in the United States and around the world for their skills training programs,” said Larry Konopacz, manager, training and education, Xylem. “This partnership gives us the opportunity to share our industry-leading training with UA craftsmen who are just as dedicated to delivering the best outcomes for facility owners.”

The Pump Service and Maintenance class debuted during UA’s 2015 Instructor Training Program, which draws 2,000 instructors from UA locals across the U.S., Canada, Australia and Ireland to Ann Arbor, Mich., for weeklong instruction in the latest teaching methods and emerging technologies in the trades. Participants then take their newfound knowledge and expertise back to their UA locals to train journeymen and apprentices.

Little Red Schoolhouse instructor Stan Kutin delivered a curriculum to 30 craftsmen from HVAC, plumbing and other fields on pump selection and performance, followed by interactive exercises on actual B&G pumps in repairing mechanical seals and other service techniques. In addition, UA training specialist John Hopkins visited the Little Red Schoolhouse in Morton Grove, Ill., for instruction prior to the class.

UA will offer the 20-hour course again at its 2016 Instructor Training Program, scheduled for Aug. 13 to 19, 2016. “Sharing our expertise in hydronic heating systems with UA’s members is a natural extension of our Little Red Schoolhouse classes and our Online Little Red Schoolhouse curriculum,” Konopacz said. “We are pleased to continue this valuable training with UA in 2016.”

“UA is committed to providing its members with the best teaching tools available, and this partnership with the Bell & Gossett Little Red Schoolhouse helps achieve that goal,” said Chris Haslinger, UA director of training. “Demand for HVAC service technicians is growing and the field is becoming ever more technical in nature, making partnerships with manufacturers like Xylem essential to enhancing our members’ knowledge of the scientific and technical aspects of the trade.”

Source: Bell & Gossett