RETA Breeze May-June 2022

An allied organization Program leadership at Thaddeus Stevens College is quick to shower RETA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter with praise, and for good reason. For decades, the organization has helped immensely to promote and support the school. The relationship is mutually beneficial. “Now more than ever, RETA members, like my employer, need a larger pool of talent to hire from,” said Steve Flick, RETA treasurer and business developer for Lancaster-based Triangle Refrigera- tion HVAC, a CoolSys company, which has donated time and material to the school and also routinely hires from its graduating classes. “Increasing the size of the student body and improving the education at Thaddeus Stevens is the most effective way bolster the workforce in our area.” In fact, RETA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter holds a large trade expo and job fair at the college each year, in the Multipurpose Activity Center. Now in its 16th year, it’s an important event for all involved. RETA members come expecting to collect resumes, while outgoing students have numerous prospects and job offers by the end of the event. Aside from the expo, RETA often helps place students with employers throughout the year. “Even as a first-year student, I already have job offers from mechanical contractors, both commer- cial and residential,” said Klein, “I’m sure I’ll be getting more in my second year. It’s exciting!” “RETA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter even uses the expo as a fundraising event for the college,” said Strunk. “A portion of the funds raised at the event are earmarked for the college. If we have a project that needs financial assistance, like the heat reclamation loop for example, we approach RETA’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter for funding. The organization has even covered things like student transportation to and from trade shows. Many RETA members – such as EVAPCO and Triangle Refrigeration HVAC - support the school individually, as well.” The RETA Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter’s goal in supporting Thaddeus Stevens College is to create more industrial-specific refrigeration training programs, and to increase the number of potential hires that have some industrial refrigeration background. “The combination of a motivated RETA regional chapter and an exceptionally-well led technical trade college has created a unique opportunity for the HVAC and refrigeration trades here,” said Flick. “RETA National has taken notice of our chapter’s relationship with Thaddeus Stevens, and is hoping to create similar partnerships in other parts of the country. It’s great for the companies in this area, it’s

Top: A pair of evaporator coils, donated by EVAPCO, are part of a ful- ly-functional dry training ammonia cooling system. Bottom: Heat rejec- tion for the live-fire boiler loop is provided by a 600 MBH, closed-circuit EVAPCO eco-Air dry cooler with adiabatic pre-cooling. Opposite page: A portion of the HVAC/R laboratory space.

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