HVAC students at Galveston College
HVAC students and their teacher (L-R), Stephan Guyton, Curtis Bagsby, Tony Saifi and Nicholas Smith.

Galveston College still has openings for its free Quickstart training program for Electrical and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) helpers, beginning in March.

Funded by a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, the Quickstart programs are designed to help individuals find entry-level jobs as helpers in the fast-growing HVAC and electrical industries.

In the eight-week programs, students will be presented with the basics of a trade, including safety procedures, proper tool usage, regulations, codes and more.

“This program has an amazing potential to turn lives around. Folks who have been unemployed, incarcerated, job changers and others who wish to get new skills in order to get a job, get a better job or keep a job are finding success in a program that is very doable,” said Galveston College Job Placement Navigator Mary Powers. “After only eight weeks of training, the wages they can earn won’t be the best, but it is a starting point up a career ladder with an excellent opportunity to enhance economic mobility. Along the way participants  from ages 18 to 75 are finding that their self-esteem is growing and they are gaining confidence in their ability to be productively employed and/or to continue their studies at Galveston College. It has been a super rewarding experience to watch this happen.”

Electrical students at Galveston College
Pictured (L-R) are Electrical students Ron Jackson, Sparkle Gordon and Morgan Howard with teacher Marshel Settlemire.

In addition to job training, Galveston College offers career guidance and job placement assistance.

Tuition is free for those accepted into the programs. However, students must purchase their own steel-toed boots.

An individual applying to a Quickstart program must

  • be age 18 or older. (Proof of age is required such as driver’s license or birth certificate.)
  • be a United States citizen or certified to work in the United States. (A Social Security card or original I-9 documentation is required.)
  • meet United States Military Selective Service registration requirements, if male. (Student must present Registration Acknowledgment Card at the time of enrollment.)

Prior to acceptance into the program, the applicant must meet with Galveston College’s job placement navigator and bring required documents.

Quickstart Electrical Helpers Program students at Galveston College
Quickstart Electrical Helpers Program students (L-R) Josue Hernandez, Ron Jackson, teacher Marshel Settlemire, Morgan Howard

For more information, please contact Job Placement Navigator Mary Powers at 409-944-1287 or [email protected]. (Se habla español.)