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New Talent for the BAS Industry

March 16, 2023 | Jon Spooner, Co-Founder/CTO, Stacks+Joules
4 min read
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Stacks+Joules is a nonprofit workforce development program based in NYC, training overlooked populations for jobs in building automation. Its mission is to give more people the chance to have careers that use technology for the common good. Through high-quality experiential learning, students and adult learners are provided with the skills, real-world experience, and professional networks necessary for them to master the advanced technologies that affect the way we live and work.

A high-paying job as a building automation system specialist is the first solid rung on a far-reaching career ladder.


For Emmy Vega, signing up for Stacks+Joules was “a leap of faith and a shot in the dark.” The 23-year-old Bronx native learned about the training program from a career development specialist at Henry Street Settlement, in the Lower Eastside of Manhattan.


Emmy had previously taught herself coding languages and IT skills on Coursera and was still looking for a career. Soon after starting, “I began to realize how many jobs and opportunities are out there for someone like me, that are hidden from view. We see the front end, like retail stores, but not the engineers working on a building who make sure they stay cold or warm.”


“Stacks+Joules opened up a whole world that I knew nothing about.”


When Emmy joined the training program, she was juggling two jobs: an internship at a charter school geared toward children of Spanish-speaking households and a three-night shift as a cashier at Rite Aid. The building automation program added another 20 hours a week to her load.


The heavy burden associated with struggling to survive on low-skill, low-wage jobs often overwhelm people like Emmy, deterring their ability to engage in complex technical learning. The organization partners with strong community-based organizations that provide services to support learners so they can fully focus on upskilling. Henry Street Settlement is a 127-year-old Settlement House which provides a comprehensive continuum of social and human services. Henry Street provides individualized support by assigning an Employment Coordinator(EC) to each participant. In addition to supporting resume development, interview preparation, and general job-search strategies, the EC is also there to help protect against circumstantial barriers to full participation. Talent rises as barriers are dismantled.


At the end of the program, Emmy was one of eight graduates quickly hired by TEC Systems in Queens, New York. She soon found herself earning on a completely different scale. Making ends meet on her own was not always a given for Emmy, who after high school struggled through a difficult time. Facing eviction, her family scattered in different directions. “I was on my own for a bit,” she says. “That was hard.”


Completing the program gave Emmy a healthy dose of confidence - enough that during a presentation by TEC Systems, she walked up to her now-boss and said, “I hear you have an opening.” He had already heard about Emmy from me as one of her instructors. Emmy followed up with him via LinkedIn and within a week she was hired.


Now, Emmy works for TEC Systems at the intersection of HVAC and IT, servicing systems for large companies such as Hudson Yards and One World Observatory. She now spends her workdays onsite at client buildings doing preventive maintenance, responding to service requests, and training to learn new skills. While in the building automation program, Emmy received her EPA 608 license to handle refrigerant as well as a LCA lighting certificate. Since starting her job, she has earned three additional IT certifications and will soon receive certification in the Niagara 4 Workbench.


“It’s amazing you can learn all of this in a 12-week training program,” she added. Emmy has come away with a new understanding of how IT and HVAC work hand in hand and more than enough technical knowledge and professional insight to launch her into an exciting career in building automation.


What is Stacks+Joules?

The Stacks+Joules program connects trainees with well-paying, climate impacting and meaningful jobs that advance them towards certifications, degrees, and lifelong advancement. Our training enables placement in full-time jobs and paid internships with local Master System Integrators and other building automation employers. The organization stands by trainees, mentoring them during internships and supporting them in securing full-time employment. Close industry collaboration facilitates further education to meet the needs of employers and develop skills integral to career success.


As of February 2023, Stacks+Joules has trained and placed 180 trainees into paid internships and jobs in the building automation industry in NYC.


In instances where training has not kept pace with innovation, entry level workers with specialized training can progress to advanced opportunities and compensation faster than before. In the program, trainees gain mastery of rigorous technical skills and concepts vital to jobs in building automation. The arc to permanent employment, on-the-job training and benefits like tuition assistance is remarkably short in this industry due to exceptional demand for qualified talent.


Perhaps most importantly, building automation jobs empower individuals from urban areas most likely to be the first to experience the effects of carbon pollution and global warming. The climate impact of building automation technology is staggering with potentially millions of metric tons of carbon emissions eliminated annually. The systems and technology are already in place, the only thing missing is the workforce and that’s what Stacks+Joules can provide.

Jon Spooner, Co-Founder/CTO, Stacks+Joules
Jonathan Spooner brings a trove of experience in technology, innovation and marketing to the Stacks+Joules team. Having led innovation teams at Intersection (a division of Alphabet) and launching multiple high-tech businesses, he has a wide breadth of knowledge. His entrepreneurial passion has led him to plan, budget, oversee and lead all sizes of businesses across the span of his career.

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