Family Bond Extends to Career Choice in the Trades | Moore Norman Technology Center
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Written by Sharla Bardin for Boyd Street and The Metro South Standard Magazine. Reprint with permission.
The Yadon family share a passion for the same profession and an appreciation for the place that trained them. Norman residents Steve Yadon and his sons, Josh and Seth, all pursued jobs in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning after graduating from Moore Norman Technology Center.
Josh and Seth now work for the HVAC team at the University of Oklahoma, while Steve Yadon serves as the director of construction trades at the technology center.
All three credit the technology center for offering opportunities and equipping them for the career field.
Steve Yadon said students, like his sons, who are interested in trade careers — such as HVAC, electrical, carpentry and cosmetology jobs — can learn about the variety of jobs available in those fields and gain the knowledge and training they need at the center to be job ready. The center offers programs for adults and high school juniors and seniors.
The trades field also is ever-growing and in need of more people to fill positions. “There’s a lot of opportunities when they leave here,” Steve Yadon said.
Yadon said he’s honored that his sons chose a similar career to his and he’s thrilled to see them find jobs that are rewarding to them. “That’s exciting to see them really take off.”
The brothers said the HVAC field offers competitive wages, opportunities for continued education and advancement and job fulfillment.
Seth Yadon, 20, works on heating, cooling and refrigeration systems at OU. He enjoys the crew he works with, the variety of projects that come their way and to see “the satisfaction of helping people,” he said.
Seth Yadon said he was interested in the HVAC field after watching his dad, grandfather and uncles work in the trades. He chose to enroll at the technology center and said “it was an awesome decision.”
Seth Yadon said the center was “a great environment to learn” and a place that continually focuses on the future and ways to equip students for the trades fields.
Josh Yadon, 23, works in building automation at OU, which includes programming building functions and monitoring and controlling heating, cooling, ventilation and related equipment.
The job offers him the chance to do hands-on work and engage his mind when faced with a variety of projects, he said.
“Every day, I’m learning something new,” he said. “I leave work every day feeling accomplished.”
Josh Yadon said his interest in the career also grew from watching his family and his interest in hands-on jobs and mechanical problem solving. He also enjoyed attending the technology center and was impressed with the curriculum, instruction and training.
“They’re very invested in helping make you job ready.”
Josh and Seth Yadon said they enjoy getting to work with each other and talking with their dad about job projects.
“It’s pretty cool to have people that speak your language,” Josh Yadon said.
The brothers and their father said they are grateful for the technology center and the training, insight and support that continue to benefit them in their profession.
Steve Yadon said his decision to attend the technology center in the HVAC program has been “life changing for me.” After graduation, he worked in the field, then became an instructor and is now an administrator.
Yadon believes the center has positively impacted he and his sons, and other graduates who have found jobs they love thanks to the training and experiences they received at the center.
“We’re in the business of better tomorrows and changing lives,” he said.
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About Moore Norman Technology Center
Established in 1972, Moore Norman Technology Center is viewed as one of the nation's premiere career and technical educational institutions within Oklahoma's globally recognized Career Tech system. Serving the Cleveland County communities of Moore, Norman, and south Oklahoma City, MNTC provides high school and adult students with an innovative technical career education. MNTC also offers customized workforce training to area companies allowing them to upskill their teams and achieve their business goals. Visit mntc.edu to learn more about classes and programs at Moore Norman Technology Center.
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