Falls Church, Va. — The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors — National Association's (PHCC) Educational Foundation recently launched an online platform, PHCC Academy^®, which includes an expanded focus on customer service and soft skills in the apprentice eLearning courses through partnering with industry expert Steve Coscia and Coscia Communications Inc.

“The greatest impact of the PHCC Academy adding Coscia’s curriculum is that existing and incoming students will have online access to the most relevant soft skills and customer service training in the industry,” said Merry Beth Hall, assistant vice president, workforce development, PHCC Educational Foundation.

“Employers value soft skills more than ever before,” said Coscia. “Apprentices that have good soft skills will earn more money in their careers and maximize profits for their employers. The courses’ innovative and engaging instructional design makes it easy for students to learn these critical skills.”

The PHCC Educational Foundation and the PHCC Academy focus on workforce development, management education and technical training to advance the growth and career success of those employed in the plumbing and HVAC industry by leveraging technology to give access to students on demand.

“Our goal is to make learning accessible, convenient and engaging for our students,” said Hall.

With this partnership, the next generation of apprentices will have access to an updated, well-rounded curriculum and be fully trained with expert customer service skills to meet the specific needs of consumers, vendors and employers.

For more information about the PHCC’s eLearning opportunities, visit http://foundation/phccweb.org/elearning.

For more information about Coscia and his curriculum, visit www.coscia.com.

About PHCC Educational Foundation

The PHCC Educational Foundation, a partnership of contractors, manufacturers and wholesalers, was founded in 1987 to serve the plumbing-heating-cooling industry by preparing contractors and their employees to meet the challenges of a constantly changing marketplace.

About Coscia Communications Inc.

Founded by Steve Coscia in 2000, Coscia Communications Inc. is a provider of customer service curriculum for the mechanical trades. Coscia’s e-learning, textbooks, seminars and keynote speeches serve thousands of trade professionals annually.