About this episode

This episode discusses the insights gained from the SkillsUSA competition regarding the preparation of HVAC students for real-world challenges.

What can an HVAC competition teach us about preparing students for the realities of the field? In this episode, Clifton sits down with Jim Fultz of Copeland and White-Rodgers to recap their experience at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference—and share what instructors and industry professionals can learn from watching the next generation of technicians in action. We explore: • How SkillsUSA connects students, educators and industry professionals • What the competition reveals about the current state of HVAC education • Why students must understand both equipment operation and the troubleshooting process • How technicians can approach unfamiliar equipment with greater confidence • The importance of teaching proper flaring, torquing and pressure-testing procedures • How competing under pressure prepares students for real-world service calls • Why technicians should communicate diagnoses as “what I’ve found so far” • How instructors and manufacturers can get involved as participants, observers or judges Jim and Clifton also discuss the remarkable 17-year-old student who won this year’s HVAC competition, the growing number of high school participants and the…

People in this episode

Host: Clifton

Guest: Jim Fultz

Topics covered

• HVAC education
• SkillsUSA competition
• student preparation
• industry collaboration
• real-world service calls

Keywords

• HVAC
• SkillsUSA
• education
• competition
• training
• students
• technicians

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Copeland, White-Rodgers

More episodes of Did You Know?-The ESCO HVAC Podcast

• Building the Next Generation of Teachers: Inside the UA's Future Instructor Program · September 3, 2026 · 34 min
• Bridging the Generational Gap: The Future Instructors Program · August 24, 2026 · 34 min
• Building the Next Generation of HVAC Techs: Inside Delcastle Technical High School · July 31, 2026 · 30 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Did You Know?-The ESCO HVAC Podcast podcast page.