Bradford White Corp., an industry-leading American manufacturer of water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, has announced a $30,000 grant and the donation of 10 65-gallon AeroTherm heat pump water heaters to Pennsylvania's Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA).

The grant, part of Bradford White's Industry Forward initiative supporting workforce development and public awareness of plumbing and HVAC industry careers, will directly benefit ECA's Philadelphia Youth Pathways to Clean Energy Careers program, which introduces low-income minority students to clean energy career paths. The program offers 100 hours of classroom and hands-on experience for students in five possible career tracks, including commercial HVAC installation, HVAC maintenance and repair, and heat pump water heater installation and maintenance. The program will sharpen their technical skills, help them acquire needed credentials and advance them toward job placement.  

As part of this workforce education grant, Bradford White training experts will lend their expertise throughout the year to ECA staff and students by providing in-person and online training to further advance their knowledge and complement the education offered by ECA.

"The skilled trades offer a variety of rewarding career opportunities that many rising jobseekers aren't aware of," said Rebecca Owens, senior manager of communications for Bradford White. "These jobs offer competitive salaries and benefits, career advancement, job security and satisfaction. We're proud to partner with ECA and advance their work to ensure that students from all backgrounds have full access to these potentially life-changing opportunities."

ECA also received 10 Bradford White AeroTherm heat pump water heaters, which were delivered by Rich-Tomkins, a manufacturer's representative for the company. Two units will be used in ECA's heat pump training lab and eight will be donated to qualifying families through the Philadelphia Water Heater Emergency Fund. The heat pump lab will further expand their efforts to train local residents on this product, allowing them to be prepared for future conversions to this energy-efficient technology in Philadelphia.  

"It's a privilege to partner with Bradford White, the industry leader on this technology, and to receive this generous support from their Industry Forward program," said Steve Luxton, CEO, ECA. These funds will give underserved Philadelphians the skills they need to install the AeroTherms and open doors to good-paying plumbing and HVAC jobs. Every week we receive calls from low-income seniors and families living without hot water. This support will help meet that need, and at the same time, help the city meet its goals for electrification."

For more information about Bradford White Corporation's Industry Forward initiative, visit https://www.bradfordwhitecorporation.com/giving/.