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Duval highlights CTE gains as HVAC dual‑enrollment student describes path to work and entrepreneurship
Summary
At the July 1 meeting the district showcased its career and technical education programs; a graduating HVAC dual‑enrollment student described earning certifications, an internship and full‑time work with DCPS and starting a business.
The Duval County School Board heard a presentation on career and technical education on July 1 that highlighted expansion of construction and engineering programs, industry certifications and local employer partnerships that lead to internships and jobs.
Superintendent Dr. Bernier and board members described 13 programs across 10 schools offering hands‑on instruction in carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, welding, HVAC and other trades. The board emphasized connections with local industry, noting that internships can turn into full‑time employment and help the district fill difficult technical positions.
Xavier Curtis, a recent graduate of the HVAC dual‑enrollment program at A. Philip Randolph Career Academy, told the board he completed two years in the program, earned an EPA license and secured internships that led to a full‑time position with Duval County Public Schools. "I went from not knowing what I wanted to do with my life to... becoming an 18‑year‑old full‑time DCPS HVAC employee," he said. Curtis said the program taught him refrigerant handling, thermostat changes and controls work, and helped him start a business, Checkmate Assembly, with his father.
His instructor, Roy Collins — who identified himself as the district’s energy management control systems project analyst and an adjunct professor at FSCJ — described the program's outcomes. He said every student in his cohort earned EPA certifications and that two students joined DCPS HVAC internships with the hope they will be hired full time when hiring restrictions lift.
The district promoted current vacancies for instructors to sustain and expand programs: full‑time welding instructor at A. Philip Randolph, part‑time welding instructor at Frank H. Peterson, and part‑time HVAC instructor at A. Philip Randolph (dual enrollment through Florida State College at Jacksonville). The presentation noted that a Florida teaching degree is not required for those positions and that teacher certification may be attained through the district based on industry experience.
Board members said the CTE programs strengthen the local workforce pipeline and offer career options for students who do not pursue four‑year college immediately. The presentation also included photographs of students working with HVAC simulators, engineering design tools and other lab equipment.
No formal board vote was required for the presentation items.
