From In-Person Seminars to a Virtual Design Cohort: How HVAC Design Society Trains Contractors on FreshLearn
Chris Morin, an ACCA EPIC instructor and the founder of HVAC Pro Blog, trains HVAC contractors in residential system design. He started using FreshLearn for the exams and study material that go with his in-person seminars, and now runs HVAC Design Society, a 4-week virtual cohort, on it, with 27 courses and more than 2,200 enrollments.
HVAC Design Society
Residential HVAC System Design Training by Chris Morin
Chris Morin founded HVAC Pro Blog (hvacproblog.com) in 2012. A US Marine Corps veteran and ACCA EPIC instructor, he works full time as a system design trainer for distributors and contractors across New England, has trained hundreds of contractors, ran workforce programs for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, and co-presents Manual J and COMcheck seminars. HVAC Design Society is his online program for contractors who want to master residential HVAC system design.
27
Courses on FreshLearn
2,200+
Course enrollments
600+
Paid orders
4 weeks
Virtual design cohort
Problem Statement
What Chris Needed
Chris's training started in the room: in-person seminars on ACCA Manual J, S and D for contractors. To support those seminars, and then to reach contractors beyond them, he needed an online home for his teaching.
- Exams and study material that go with each in-person seminar.
- A way to teach contractors beyond seminar days and outside New England.
- A cohort format with live Q&As and a place for contractors to ask questions between sessions.
- One place for the templates, spreadsheets and checklists contractors use on real jobs.
Solution
From Seminar Exams to a Full Virtual Program
FreshLearn started as the exam and study layer for Chris's in-person seminars and grew into HVAC Design Society.
- 1Exams for in-person seminars: Free supplement-and-exam courses for the in-person Manual J & S seminar, and for Manual D and duct diagnostics.
- 2A 4-week virtual cohort: HVAC Design Society takes contractors through ACCA Manual J, Zr, S and D over four weeks.
- 3Live every week: Four weekly live Q&As alongside a course library contractors can work through at their own pace.
- 4A private community: Contractors in each cohort ask questions and share their work between sessions.
- 5Tools for real jobs: Templates, spreadsheets and checklists come with the program.
Implementation
How the Program Grew
Chris built HVAC Design Society step by step on the same academy.
- 1Seminar exams first: Contractors at his in-person seminars took their supplement and exam online.
- 2Then a full program: He added the course library, live Q&As, community and cohort enrollment for HVAC Design Society.
- 3Run by his team: Chris's team manages the academy, marketing and sales from one account.
Results
2,200+ Enrollments and a Recurring Cohort
- 27 courses: Seminar exams and supplements, the HVAC Design Society library and cohort courses.
- 2,200+ enrollments and 600+ paid orders: Contractors have enrolled in Chris's courses more than 2,200 times.
- A long-term home: Chris is in his third plan term on FreshLearn.
“I started using FreshLearn for the exams and study material that go with my in-person Manual J and S seminars. Now it runs the whole HVAC Design Society: the course library, the weekly live Q&As and the community for each cohort.”
Chris Morin
Founder, HVAC Pro Blog and HVAC Design Society
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