Student Interns Observe Setting of Oasis Academy HVAC Unit

If you were driving near Safeway last week, you might have noticed some air conditioning work. Upon a closer look, you would have also seen two CCHS School to Careers Work Based Learning business partners – Just in Time HVAC, working on installing a commercial HVAC system, and a crane from Mills Farm and Industrial, setting the unit atop the building. 

Both these local businesses, Just in Time and Mills Farm & Industrial, have taken on student interns from the burgeoning Work Based Learning program developed by CCHS’s Dr. Sue Segura, who leads the School to Careers Program.

According to Dr. Sue, Just in Time, owned by Justin Judd, has taken on Hadley Frey and Ryan Judd, both of whom have expressed an interest in careers in HVAC. The field of HVAC is always hiring. Like many skilled trade professions, there is good money to be made with benefits often available. It is also a field that relies increasingly on high-tech equipment, giving technicians new opportunities to learn cutting-edge technology as they progress through their careers, including refrigeration, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and electrical skills. 

According to Dr. Sue, these internships give our students opportunities to practice new and developing skills in real-world scenarios. Just in Time and MFI were in the process of installing a new commercial air conditioning unit, giving Frey and Judd an opportunity to observe professionals in action. This will give them a better perspective on what jobs like these entail during their day-to-day operations. 

As part of the Work-Based Learning internship program, students learn what Dr. Sue refers to as “soft skills.” These include important employment musts like time management, communication, resilience, responsibility, ideation, analysis, and organization. The program also gives students a chance to build networks with potential employers. 

Over the summer, these two young men will work alongside other employees, learning skills, gaining experience, and seeing first-hand what it takes to do the job. And who knows, maybe they will follow in the footsteps of some businesses that gave them a chance to learn their skilled trade.