Johnson Controls recently awarded a $57,895 grant to the University of Hawaiʻi. Their gift supports student scholarships for the UH and Johnson Controls Fellows Program, HVAC scholarships and equipment for Honolulu CC’s refrigeration and air conditioning technology program.
“Sustainability is an important goal but also an important value for the UH Community Colleges,” said Vice President for Community Colleges John Morton. “Our work with Johnson Controls, Inc. has helped move us forward in reaching this sustainability goal. We thank JCI for their continued support and partnership, and for this generous gift in support of training the future workers in Hawaiʻi’s green Industries.
“This generous gift will help Honolulu CC keep important programs such as refrigeration and air conditioning technology current with industry standards. Students will train on innovative equipment to help move the future of Hawaiʻi’s workforce to be more responsive with its energy needs,” added Honolulu Community College Chancellor Erika Lacro. “The JCI Fellows Program is offered across the UH System to engage students in all types of sustainable practices. These scholarships will aid students throughout their educational journey through to graduation.”
In 2011, UH and Johnson Controls launched the fellows program to prepare students for jobs in the growing green sector while identifying and cultivating students to lead sustainability efforts on their respective campuses. To date there have been more than 47 fellows educated by Johnson Controls employees who have coordinated activities such as renewable energy training summits, Earth Day celebrations and peer-to-peer sustainability education.
“We’re training students to become critical thinkers and problems solvers, making them career-ready for jobs in sustainability and energy-efficiency industries,” says Judith Moutain, program director, Higher Education, Johnson Controls. “While learning about sustainability, they’re gaining valuable business leadership skills.”
Johnson Contols’ gift also benefits Honolulu CC’s refrigeration and air conditioning program by funding scholarships and the purchase of new equipment to better prepare students for jobs in refrigeration and A/C installation, repair and sales.
