With Support from a NICI Impact Grant, OAI, Inc. is Training a New Generation of HVAC Contractors
With offices and classrooms in Park Forest serving the Southland region, OAI, Inc. offers training and career pathways in manufacturing, environmental health and safety, transportation, construction and clean energy. OAI equips individuals with credentials, connects them to careers and strengthens economic mobility across Chicagoland.
The organization’s third year of NICI funding will enable the launch of an HVAC & Equity Eligible Contractor (EEC) Pathway. Funds directly support participant coordination, training logistics and employer and contractor engagement for the HVAC pathway within OAI’s workforce development initiatives. The EEC program will emphasize entrepreneurship, contractor readiness, and business development, preparing participants to work with or establish small/mid-sized HVAC businesses with energy efficiency contracts.
“The NICI Impact Grant has acted as a catalyst to bring other funders to the table.
So, the initiative we are particularly excited about is the expansion of the CEJA training program with NICI funds to include HVAC entrepreneurs with DCEO EEC certification, who will become equipped to bid on clean energy and construction jobs.
The entire OAI team looks forward to hosting training programs, employer connections and regional convenings that bring together residents, businesses, nonprofits and public-sector partners to create pathways to good-paying careers and strengthen economic opportunity throughout Chicagoland.”
— Sandra Dafiaghor, Executive Director