ASHRAE Endorses PAHRA Program
Source: Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute
Contact: ARI Manager of Communication, (703) 524-8800
August 21, 2002
ARLINGTON, Va -- At its meeting on June 26, 2002 in Honolulu, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Board of Directors passed a motion to endorse the Partnership for Air Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA) program.
PAHRA, a partnership between heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) educators and the industry, is available nationally for HVACR training programs that meet and/or exceed industry-validated standards in such areas as instructors, students, curriculum competencies, facilities and fiscal responsibility.
"ASHRAE is pleased to endorse the PAHRA program to complement our education program and outreach to students," ASHRAE President Donald Colliver, Ph.D., P.E., said. "It's a good thing when our industry can join together and work with those schools that excel in training the next generation of technicians."
Programmatic accreditation can help HVACR training programs obtain federal, state and local funding because they have been accredited by a recognized body. HVACR training programs have been declining in number in part due to inadequate funding. PAHRA's programmatic accreditation program was validated by representatives from each major HVACR trade association and is available to all training programs whether they are secondary, post secondary, public or private.
To become accredited, a training school must first evaluate its own strengths and weaknesses as compared to industry standards and then submit its findings in a self-study report. A survey team then conducts an on-site visit to corroborate the self-study report.
Each program can seek accreditation in one, two or all three of the following categories: Residential A/C and Heating; Light Commercial A/C and Heating; and/or Commercial Refrigeration.
The PAHRA program launched in January 2001. Since then, a total of seven HVACR training schools have received accreditation through the PAHRA program including: Linn State Technical College, Linn, MO; Delaware Technical and Community College, Georgetown, DE; Great Oaks Institute of Technology, Cincinnati, OH; RETS Tech Center, Centerville, OH; University of Northwestern Ohio College of Technologies, Lima, OH; John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL; and Albuquerque TVI Community College in Albuquerque, NM.
Partnerships in PAHRA include the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), the Gas Appliance Manufacturing Association (GAMA), the Heating, Airconditioning & Refrigeration Distributors International (HARDI), the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC) and the Council of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Educators (CARE).
For more information about PAHRA contact ARI's Education Department.
Looking for a rewarding job? Log on to www.coolcareers.org to learn more about a career in the HVACR and plumbing industry.
This and other news items may be found on the Internet at ARI's World Wide Web site, www.ari.org
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