Inmates earn HVAC certification for successful reentry

Nine of Pennsylvania’s 25 prisons offer inmates heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) training and the opportunity to earn National Center for Construction Education & Research certificates.

The training is offered through the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) Bureau of Correction Education.

“Every year the DOC releases 19,000 individuals back into their communities following incarceration,” Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said. “While these individuals are committed to our care and custody, we work to provide them with a variety of educational and vocational programs to teach them skills that they can use after incarceration to obtain and keep life-sustaining jobs.”

Inmates who receive training while still incarnated have a better chance at success once released from prison, Wetzel said.

Every state correctional institution offers education and vocational programs. These programs vary by institution and include construction fundamentals, auto mechanics and technology, warehouse operations, green environment education, barber and cosmetology, custodial maintenance, computer-aided design, and horticulture and landscaping.

Inmates are assessed to determine their educational backgrounds, what job interests they have and what skills they possess. They then are matched to the available education or vocational options.

DOC provides reentry and transitional services to help inmates reenter society, obtain employment and become law-abiding citizens.