SCC instructors gain industry-recognized credentials at national NC3 training event
Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Instructor Billy Chappell and Advanced Manufacturing Instructor Josh Snyder traveled to Wayne Community College in Goldsboro for the NC3 Train-the-Trainer event held Oct. 20 – 24. Their attendance and participation brought back industry-recognized certifications and training to be incorporated into their classes taught at Southeastern Community College.
“With Billy earning four HVAC certifications at NC3, we’re going to embed those credentials into his classes so his students can get those certifications too,” said Dr. Mike Ammons, Dean of Technical Training. “And the same way with Josh in mechatronics and electrical engineering, he’s now able to issue three credentials to his students in our program.”
Ammons explained that these nationally recognized training credentials will carry over to any state in the U.S. This lets employers know that these students are certified to work for them, and the standardized curriculum makes sure that everyone has the same level of training. He said the NC3 event was organized by industry partners who invited community college instructors from around the U.S. to get trained on their specific equipment brands developed by the manufacturers.
HVAC credentials
At NC3, Chappell earned certifications in residential air-to-air heat pump, air flow, refrigeration diagnostics and variable speed motors. He said these are all add-on credentials to what he already teaches, and he described them as a “big enhancement” to his curriculum.
“All of this was for the Train manufacturing company, and this is good knowledge that my students are going to need to be ready for the workforce,” Chappell said. “We learned how to properly diagnose the units and set them up for efficiency.”
In terms of using generic trainer equipment in class, Chappell explained that students having these credentials give them another name-brand manufactured piece of equipment to become certified on. He said that once his students go out to work on units, they will be more familiar with what they are repairing.
At SCC, Chappell teaches HVAC-R curriculum and continuing education courses in Heat Pump Technology, Comfort Cooling, Residential System Design, Advanced Comfort Systems, Intro to Refrigeration, and Intro to Electricity. He said that watching the growth of his students and seeing those “lightbulb moments” is his favorite part of teaching those classes.
“We are in a heating and air deficit,” Chappell said. “For a lot of old-timers like me who have been in the business for a while and are wanting to retire, there’s not a lot of people coming along to take our places. So, this is why it is important to me to teach these students the best that I can, so when they leave here, they can fill that void.”
Advanced Manufacturing credentials
Snyder earned certifications in Festo Fundamentals of Fluid Power – Hydraulics, Festo Fundamentals of Fluid Power – Pneumatics and Festo Introduction to Mechatronics. Snyder said he learned hands-on skills in hydraulics, pneumatics and mechatronics along with instructional methods to teach these topics to his students.
“I can bring these skills back to the classroom, giving students hands-on experience and the opportunity to earn industry-recognized certifications themselves,” Snyder said. “These certifications help students develop practical, industry-recognized skills that local manufacturers need, preparing them to enter the workforce successfully.”
Snyder teaches courses in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Industrial Systems, OSHA General Industry 10- and 30-hour classes, and he will be a CDL Examiner starting the first of 2026. His favorite part of attending NC3 was the hands-on training and meeting instructors from other colleges and industry professionals from around the U.S.
Interested in HVAC-R or Advanced Manufacturing? Get started this spring for FREE through the NextNC Scholarship. Learn more by calling 910-788-6247.
