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Tech Tips:

What Makes a Thorough Comfort Consultation

This tech tip is based on an HVAC School podcast episode with Tim De Stasio. Tim has written several articles about HVAC design on his blog, several of which he has been generous enough to share with HVAC School. Tim’s focus is on humid climates, and moisture mitigation is one of his main focuses in […]

The HVAC Technician’s Guide to Ensuring Comfort: Lessons from a Real-World Experience

This tech tip was written by Luke Peterson, the president of The Maintenance Department in Louisville, KY. Luke was a speaker at the 5th Annual HVAC Training Symposium in 2024 and has been on HVAC business panels at the symposium in 2023 and 2024. Thanks, Luke! As an HVAC technician, your primary goal is not […]

Air Barrier vs. Vapor Barrier vs. Insulation

Think of it like this: It's a cold, wet, windy day. You can take an umbrella to protect you from the water alone, but that won't deal with the cold (temperature) or the wind (air convection). You can add in a light windbreaker, which will help keep the wind (convection) off. But if you also […]

How To Be a REAL Comfort Consultant

In this comprehensive episode, Bryan Orr sits down with Tim De Stasio to explore the world of comfort consulting and performance contracting in HVAC. Tim, who sold his contracting company to focus on this specialized field, shares his methodical approach to diagnosing home performance issues that go far beyond traditional HVAC troubleshooting. Working primarily […]

Blower Door Testing, Building Performance & More w/ Corbett Lunsford (Podcast)

In this podcast episode, Bryan talks to Corbett Lunsford about blower door testing and the coming building performance revolution. Building performance and HVAC have been becoming much more closely linked lately. So, it's a good idea for HVAC techs to learn a bit about building performance. In the HVAC world, we often see homes with […]

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HVAC School – For Techs, By Techs

Real training for HVAC ( Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration) Technicians. Including recorded tech training, interviews, diagnostics and general conversations about the trade.

In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan Orr sits down with Bert and Leanna to discuss Kalos’s first official cohort apprenticeship program, dubbed the “Launch Program.” What started as Bryan’s persistent idea—one that the team initially resisted as too expensive and logistically challenging—evolved into a transformative three-month training experience that brought 15 green apprentices through intensive classroom, lab, and field work across HVAC, electrical, and building automation systems.

Bert, who graded himself a B for his first attempt at leading the program, shares candid insights about the challenges of planning and execution. While he meticulously mapped out the first two weeks hour-by-hour, the remaining time was far less structured, leading to valuable lessons about the importance of ongoing planning and verification. Leanna, who came to Kalos with both teaching experience and a commercial HVAC background, brought crucial support that Bert initially didn’t think he needed. Her contribution proved essential in managing the group of 15 and ensuring hands-on engagement. Of the original cohort, nine graduated, with two additional apprentices added later who showed exceptional promise.

The conversation reveals critical insights about what makes training effective in the trades. Both trainers emphasize the importance of hands-on experience over lecture, with Bert noting his biggest mistake was spending an entire day lecturing on refrigerant circuits before showing apprentices actual equipment. The most successful exercises involved real-world scenarios, like Leanna’s mock dispatch day where apprentices handled service calls from start to finish, including customer communication. The program also incorporated broader trade skills beyond HVAC—carpentry, ladder safety, and tool confidence—recognizing that many young workers today lack the tactile experience that builds confidence in using tools and solving problems independently.

Perhaps most importantly, the discussion highlights the value of verification and confidence-building over knowledge dumping. Bert learned that making diagnostic exercises too complex early on destroyed apprentice confidence, while starting simple and building up created self-motivated learners. The cohort model’s unique advantage lies in its competitive yet supportive environment, where apprentices can gauge their progress against peers who started at the same level, creating natural motivation to improve. While expensive and demanding, the program represents a long-term commitment to developing well-rounded tradespeople who can think critically and solve problems—not just perform repetitive tasks.

Topics Covered:

The origins and initial resistance to implementing a cohort-style apprenticeship program
Structuring a 90-day training program with classroom, lab, and field components
The critical importance of planning and having adequate instructor support
Selecting apprentices: key traits including self-motivation, adaptability, and humility
Balancing lecture, hands-on training, and real-world field experience
The power of verification and skills checklists over pure knowledge transfer
Teaching broader trade skills (carpentry, ladder work) to build overall confidence
Creating realistic scenarios like mock service calls for soft skills development
Managing group size and the challenges of keeping all apprentices engaged
The role of confidence-building in safety and long-term success
Starting simple with diagnostic exercises and building complexity gradually
Using field feedback and peer comparison as motivational tools
The cost and commitment required to run effective cohort training programs

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Search Episodes

Group Training – What We Have Learned

10/23/2025

Bryan Orr

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10/21/2025

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