History of the Institution:
During 1988, the Maintenance Director of the Indianapolis Housing Agency contacted AC/C TECH about training his maintenance staff. AC/C TECH was asked to provide training in areas related to HVAC Maintenance, Plumbing Maintenance, Interior/Exterior Building Maintenance, Electrical Wiring Maintenance, and Appliance Repair. The training was unique, specialized, and geared towards maintenance workers who had limited experience as well as limited educational background. Some individuals did not have a high school diploma. Basically, AC/C TECH engaged in changing the mindset of workers from a janitorial perspective to a highly skilled maintenance worker who could diagnose failures and make repairs effectively. Key indicators included but were not limited to how well students were completing job assignments and meeting employer expectations. More specifically, we considered how effectively students completed work-orders, followed diagnostic & repair procedures, conducted planned maintenance activities, met job task standards, maintained a clean and safe working environment, and established good customer relation skills. Lastly, the training was setup to help the maintenance staff (Technicians) earn pay rate increases based on skills developed. In fact, they earned a $0.25/hour pay increase for every set of courses successfully completed.
During 1993, AC/C TECH pursued state approval through the Indiana Board for Proprietary Education to issue Technical Certificates and award an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Residential & Apartment Technology. AC/C TECH met all requirements and subsequently became approved on May 25, 1993 and was able to issue an AAS Degree effective November 10, 1993. From that point forward, AC/C TECH was recognized as a post-secondary vocational institution specializing in residential and apartment maintenance technology; specifically, training related to appliance repair, electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning, interior/exterior building maintenance, plumbing, and swimming pool maintenance.
Also during 1993, AC/C TECH sought approval to provide training and testing for the EPA Technician Certification program, nationwide. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) accepted the institution’s application and granted approval on October 13, 1993. To date, AC/C TECH has certified more than 7000 technicians.
During 2005, AC/C TECH applied to provide Continuing Education coursework for the Indiana Home Inspectors program as administered by the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (Home Inspectors Licensing Board). Approval was issued on March 1, 2006.
AC/C TECH applied to become Certified as a Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) through the State of Indiana and received approval on March 27, 2006. AC/C TECH became a Member of the Indiana Apartment Association on October 30, 2006; and became Certified as a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) through the City of Indianapolis on June 9, 2009.
During 2014, the President of Rose Property Group, LLC contacted AC/C TECH about establishing an employer-based training program for his entire maintenance staff. That included developing distance online training courses so that every maintenance technician can participate, including those in other states, and provide recruiting services for all property locations nationwide. It took six years to develop the online training courses and two years to establish policies, procedures, rules, graduation requirements, and student support services… applicable for their operations.
Next, AC/C TECH will seek national accreditation so that the entire apartment industry nationwide can benefit from our training and student services. AC/C TECH also seeks to provide recruiting services for the industry nationwide, which will be bolstered by receiving accreditation.