Computrols has recently agreed to donate a number of its building automation system components to the HVAC/R program at Northshore Technical Community College (NOTCC) for student training and education. The contribution comes by way of Computrols involvement with the Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center, a program supporting publicly-funded 2- and 4-year colleges with HVAC/R, controls, building automation, and energy/facilities management curricula.
Among the items being provided to the NOTCC program are Computrols flagship 8-LX controller, 7 UNI-C controllers, and Computrols Building Automation Software (CBAS). These pieces of hardware and software will also come with the necessary licenses and training to operate the system, along with peripheral devices such as relays and sensors.
When asked about the donation, Computrols CEO, Drew Mire said, “The importance of these programs cannot be overstated. We are on the verge of a major shortage when it comes to qualified applicants for HVAC and facilities management roles.”
The parts provided will allow students to get hands-on experience with building automation systems. Rather than simply discussing the concepts, they’ll be able to write their own sequences of operations, troubleshoot, and physically install the parts that make up smart building systems.
The system will be installed at the Hammond Campus of Northshore Technical Community College which is less than an hour’s drive from Computrols headquarters in Gretna, LA, where the products are designed and manufactured.
“The fact that we are able to help an institution in our own backyard is a nice added bonus”, said Mire. “We look forward to continuing to support the program for years and hopefully hiring some of its graduates.”
