DELTONA, Fla. —  As Volusia County Schools welcomes back students for the new year, a new program is set up to get students ready for jobs right out of high school.

What You Need To Know

  • The new HVAC program will have about 160 students and 2 instructors

  • A Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities grant made the new program possible

  • The program is open to students across the district

  • For those interested can find out more information here

It is a first-of-its-kind program in the county in heating and air conditioning at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona.

District leaders, faculty, and parents got a sneak peek of the new facility ahead of the new year.

Stephanie Allen's son Alexander is joining the program.

“I think he’s going to like it because I think it’s going to be a lot of hands-on. Honestly, I think it’s fantastic that they were able to get the funding that they were with so much equipment," Allen said.

It is all thanks to an over $500,000 Florida Pathways to Career Opportunities Grant by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran.

The program's starting with 160 students and two instructors.

Leland Wilbert brings nine years of field experiencing to the teaching job. He is a first-time teacher, but he comes from a family of them.

“Make it hot, make it cold, these will all show the kids what different elements and different heat loads do for a house," Wilbert said while showing Spectrum News 13 equipment in the new workshop.

He went on to say, “This is a good way to take a unit that’s normally 50 feet apart from each other and put it right on the wall so they can do it all at once.”

Wilbert said his HVAC job in the field misses him, but being a new father pushed him to want to share his knowledge and passion with the youth.

It is a field that is projected to have a local deficit of about 900,000 workers by 2030.

“Any student who enrolls in our HVAC program will come out with multiple certifications and they will be employable immediately in the field and be eligible for pre-apprenticeships to further their skills," Pine Ridge High School Principal Paul Nehrig said.

With this new facility, students now have state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips.

“Living in Florida, we’re always going to need HVAC professionals," Nehrig said.

This new program is open to students across Volusia County. Students will spend part of their day in the program and will be able to move up to different levels as they progress.