Contributed RETURNING – Jefferson County Joint Vocational School is bringing back its HVACR program and Keith Kaczor, who holds years of experience both in the field and as an instructor, is leading the course for current adult career training and high schoolers attending for the 2026-27 school term. For more information, call the JVS at (740) 264-5545 or email keith.kaczor@jeffjvs.org.

BLOOMINGDALE — Growing interest has led Jefferson County Joint Vocational School to bring back its HVACR program for both students and adults, with Keith Kaczor serving as instructor.

Kaczor will teach the program to incoming juniors and seniors this fall. For now, he is leading an accelerated summer adult training session. The course runs June 1-12 from 3-8 p.m., with five adult students enrolled.

HVACR — heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration — covers a wide range of career opportunities, Kaczor said.

He said he is excited to teach the program and noted the field continues to expand and remains in high demand, adding that he has seen former students move on to internships and jobs in the industry.

“The career choice is so diversified. There’s residential HVAC, commercial HVAC to work in schools, offices and apartments, plus refrigeration to work on coolers and freezers,” Kaczor said, noting opportunities also extend to data centers requiring advanced cooling systems. “There are also opportunities for sales, manufacturing and building automation.”

Kaczor brings years of experience in both working in and teaching the field. He served in the U.S. Air Force, where he worked on fighter aircraft, before continuing his training in industrial maintenance after his service. He later attended the Esco Institute in Illinois for HVAC training and went on to West Liberty University, where he worked for 34 years and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Board of Regents management and leadership.

After retiring from West Liberty, he became an HVACR instructor at Belmont College and later served as director of industrial trades until last October.

“I had called Belmont to see if there were internships and I took interns there to do maintenance,” he said. “They asked me to be on the advisory board, and then I was an adjunct and fell in love with teaching.”

He said he taught for five years and spent two years as director. Kaczor also built relationships with area guidance counselors and school officials from Edison to Bridgeport while working as a substitute teacher, which helped him transition into teaching middle and high school students.

When he learned the HVAC program was being revived at JVS, he applied for the position. Since joining, he has worked with school leaders to develop the lab, helping acquire equipment, supplies and curriculum.

“It’s been refreshing. I had not taught at a secondary level but had younger students come to a STEM camp at Belmont College around HVAC,” he said. “Substitute teaching gave me an opportunity to be in a high school or middle school every day and it’s been exciting and rewarding. They had an HVAC program at the JVS almost 20 years ago and (Superintendent Ted Gorman) was enthusiastic about bringing it back. I’ve been putting the program together to teach the summer accelerated class and high school students in the fall.”

Kaczor and JVS Adult Education Director Jim Hilton also helped establish the summer training course, which has nearly a dozen students learning basic refrigeration skills. Students also have the opportunity to test for and earn three industry credentials, including an EPA refrigeration certification.

“Keith has 11 students enrolled in the HVAC course and on day one, as the students left, I heard several of them saying what a great class it was,” Hilton said. “They have been eager each day to return, with several arriving to class early. He has brought in several pieces of equipment for the students to explore in class — taking theory directly to hands-on application. They recently took their first certification exam and 10 of the 11 passed, with several scoring 95% or higher, and 70% being required for passing.”

Hilton added that he and Kaczor have already discussed future short- and long-term course offerings.

The school’s current heavy equipment operation lab will be remodeled to house the HVAC program. Kaczor said he is pleased to see the program taking shape.

“We are starting from scratch, so I had to identify the curriculum that teaches comprehensive tasks for the two-year high school program,” he said. “The trade has changed so much, going from analog to digital, and now students can download an app to see temperature changes in real time on their phone. I’m also looking for sponsorships for investments into these students’ lives. I’m interested in scholarships, internships and job opportunities so I’m looking to do that in Jefferson County.”

He added that he has formed an advisory committee with local and national industry partners who will visit classrooms for lectures and demonstrations. He also said the field is not male-dominated and offers opportunities for female students as well.

“There are so many opportunities for STEM because this is a steppingstone for mechanical and electrical engineering, so no matter what the student’s background is, there is a place for them in HVAC,” he said. “Because it’s new, we have an opportunity to do something wonderful for students and impact future generations to come.”

Superintendent Ted Gorman said the district is fortunate to have Kaczor leading the program.

“We are very fortunate to have Keith Kaczor join our staff as our new HVACR instructor,” Gorman said. “Keith brings a wealth of knowledge, real-world experience and great energy to the program. Bringing the HVACR program back to Jefferson County JVS is a big step forward for our school and for our community. This program has not been offered at the JVS since 2007, so to bring it back after nearly 19 years is something we are very proud of. There is a strong need for skilled workers in HVACR, and this program will give our students another pathway into a high-demand, hands-on career.”

Anyone seeking more information, or companies interested in supporting the program, may contact the school at (740) 264-5545 or email keith.kaczor@jeffjvs.org.