The fun and games stop when students walk into Scott Naill’s classroom - it is a place of business. This 20-year HVAC veteran and 14-year teaching authority finds himself on the cusp of a progressive partnership philosophy, and the winner of Honorable Mention status in the Best Instructor competition sponsored by The NEWS and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.

Partnered with Emerson Climate Technologies, Upper Valley Joint Vocational School of Piqua, Ohio, is a public secondary vocational school that faced extinction about 14 years ago. With only 12 students, Naill and his associates breathed new life into the program, spawning an atmosphere of professionalism and progressive thinking.

This instructor’s skills stem from his career in HVACR where he participated in residential-commercial installation, service, estimation, sales, and project management. Using these skills, he teaches a 25 percent theory-based and 75 percent hands-on program. Naill not only expects the 37 students currently enrolled to come to class prepared to learn these technical skills, but he also expects them to learn soft skills.

“We have employers stopping by to visit the class and scout new employees on a constant basis,” said Naill. “I expect students to greet visitors with a handshake, knowing that the handshake is a potential job lead.”

Although the Industry Competency Exam (ICE) is not a program requirement, graduates must complete the Ohio Competency Analysis Profile (OCAP) as an exit exam. The school is currently seeking accreditation from the Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA), and expects to obtain it by spring of 2008.

“We are excited to add this accreditation along with our National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) accreditation,” said Naill. “This will give the Upper Valley HVACR program a dual accreditation.”

The school continues to progress and expand its programs as it partners with Sinclair Community College, Dayton, Ohio; HVACREducation.net; Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Mich.; and Emerson Climate Technologies, St. Louis, to develop online classes.

“The success has come from the students, the employers, and the administration,” noted Naill. “We, the instructors, just guide things.”

QUICK STATS

BEST INSTRUCTOR: HONORABLE MENTION

INSTRUCTOR: Scott Naill

COLLEGE OR SCHOOL: Upper Valley Joint Vocational School

LOCATION: Piqua, Ohio

YEARS TEACHING: 14

Publication date: 11/05/2007