In an effort to meet an increasing demand for competent HVAC technicians, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is working toward a statewide programmatic accreditation of its HVACR programs, and three learning centers recently receivedHVAC Excellenceaccreditation.

The Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, Brownstown Campus, (Brownstown, PA), The Bucks County Technical High School (Fairdess Hills, PA), and The Western Center for Technical Studies (Limerick PA), were granted national accreditation for their HVACR programs.

The programs were reviewed in the following areas: curriculum, faculty, student facilities, workplace transition services, occupational advisory committee involvement, training facilities, and equipment and safety. The HVAC Excellence d Committee that the programs met the standards set forth by HVAC Excellence which are based, in part, on the National Skill Standards.

Programmatic Accreditation is part of a national movement to establish standards of excellence within education, thereby raising the quality of education. The programs are now listed in an official directory of accredited HVACR programs at www.hvacexcellence.org.