In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan Orr speaks with Jennifer Manzo, founder of HVA-Chicks Coalition. Jennifer shares her unique background as a longtime teacher and homeschooler who stumbled into the HVAC trade while researching vocational options for her homeschooling students.

They discuss the inspiration behind HVA-Chicks, a free training coalition offering technical, career, and personal support to women in HVAC. This includes customized training plans, connecting members with childcare assistance, legal support for discrimination issues, job search help, and more. Jennifer also manages a free 24/7 tech support phone line with several experienced volunteers. She explains why she dedicates endless hours to serving others in the industry at no cost - to provide the help and community she wished for when first starting out.

Jennifer actively works to build women up by first offering them psychological safety and security. When women feel unconditionally cared for, they gain the internal strength and courage needed to push past obstacles in this male-dominated field.

Key topics covered:

· Jennifer's journey from teaching to HVAC

· Lifelong learning

· Overview of HVA-Chicks Coalition offerings

· Managing a free 24/7 tech support phone line

· Motivations for serving the industry with no payment

· Providing psychological safety/security for women technicians

You can learn more about the great resources HVA-Chicks has to offer at https://hvachicks.com/, visit Skillcat to check out the blog where Jennifer writes, and find Jennifer on social media as Hvachicks Jennifer. You may contact Jennifer by her public email at jennifer@skillcatapp.com.

Learn more about the 5th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/Symposium24.

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