ETI School of Skilled Trades

What ETI School of Skilled Trades does

ETI School of Skilled Trades is a private vocational institution located in Willowbrook, Illinois, in the Chicagoland metropolitan area. Founded in 1973, the school delivers hands-on training in two skilled trades — HVAC/R and Welding — through 7-month programs taught in a 14,000+ square foot industry-current lab. Curriculum integrates EPA Section 608 certification preparation (for HVAC/R) and multiple welding process certifications (SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, and Oxy Fuel Cutting), and the institution holds ACCSC accreditation. It has been recognized among the Top 250 Trade Schools.

The school's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: prospective students enroll in tuition-funded programs and complete training with the goal of entering skilled-trade employment. The institution maintains named hiring relationships with major Chicagoland employers including Tower International, Sears Home Services, Powell, Lennox, and Johnson Controls, which support graduate placement but are not paying customers. Revenue mechanics are cohort-based tuition under a single-campus operating model. Operations are led by Campus President Marianna Caniglia.

The business is operationally focused on skilled trades education delivery rather than technology development; no AI/ML capabilities, digital platforms, or proprietary technology products are part of the offering. All training occurs at the single Willowbrook facility, and the institution has not announced expansion into additional geographies, verticals, or online delivery channels based on available information.

Name

ETI School of Skilled Trades

Legal name

ETI School of Skilled Trades

Website

https://eticampus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ETI School of Skilled Trades is a private vocational school in Willowbrook, Illinois, offering 7-month hands-on HVAC/R and Welding programs with ACCSC accreditation and employer-aligned certification preparation for Chicagoland students entering skilled trades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Trade Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA) (EDAOADAG), Arc Welding (SMAW/GMAW/FCAW/GTAW) Training (EDAOADAA)

Keywords

• Vocational trade training
• Welding certification programs
• HVAC/R technician training
• Skilled trades education
• Hands-on trade school

Headquarters

HQ city

Willowbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: ETI School of Skilled Trades generates revenue through tuition fees charged for vocational training programs in HVAC/R and Welding. The school also offers financial aid services to help students fund their education, suggesting a mix of direct payment and financial aid-assisted tuition revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ETI School of Skilled Trades is a private vocational trade school that delivers two hands-on training programs—HVAC/R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) and Welding—at its Willowbrook, IL campus. Each program is designed to be completed in as few as 7 months in a 14,000+ sq. ft. industry-current lab, preparing students for industry-recognized certifications (EPA Section 608 Universal for HVAC/R; SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, Oxy Fuel Cutting welding certifications) and immediate employment with Chicagoland employers.

Product overview

ETI School of Skilled Trades is a single-location trade school offering two core vocational training programs: HVAC/R (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) and Welding. Both programs provide hands-on training in a 14,000+ sq. ft. lab environment and can be completed in as few as 7 months. The school serves as Chicagoland's premier welding and HVAC/R training institution, helping students launch careers in skilled trades since 1973.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HVAC/R Program

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Tower InternationalminorOthersTower International is one of the companies actively recruiting ETI welding graduates. This represents a hiring/recruitment relationship where ETI provides qualified graduates for employment.
• Sears Home ServicesminorOthersSears Home Services recruits ETI graduates for HVAC/R and home appliance repair positions. This is a direct hiring relationship between the employer and ETI's career services.
• PowellminorOthersPowell recruits ETI welding graduates for manufacturing and construction positions. Represents a hiring/placement relationship through ETI's career services.
• LennoxminorOthersLennox, an HVAC equipment manufacturer, recruits ETI HVAC/R graduates. This is an employer-recruiter relationship focused on graduate placement.
• Johnson ControlsminorOthersJohnson Controls, a building efficiency and HVAC controls company, recruits ETI graduates for HVAC/R and building systems positions. This represents a hiring relationship through ETI's career services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Universal Technical Institute: Publicly traded operator of technical training schools with HVAC/R and welding programs among its skilled trades offerings. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-campus accredited trade school targeting similar career-focused adult learners.
• Miller-Motte College: Multi-campus career college offering HVAC/R training and other skilled trades with comparable short-form, certification-focused programs. Similar for-profit, accredited operating model serving career-focused adult learners.
• New England Institute of Technology: Northeast-region technical college offering HVAC/R, welding, and other skilled trades programs with industry-current labs. Comparable as a regionally focused, accredited trade training institution targeting similar learner profiles and certification outcomes.
• Lincoln Tech: Multi-campus career training school offering HVAC/R and welding programs alongside other skilled trades. Directly comparable as a for-profit accredited institution serving career-changers and recent high school graduates with similar 7-12 month program timelines.
• Coyne College: Chicago-based skilled trade school offering HVAC, electrical, and plumbing programs. Highly comparable as a competing Chicagoland-area for-profit trade school targeting similar working adult and career-changer segments.
• Apex Technical School: NYC-based trade school with HVAC/R, welding, electrical and plumbing programs. Comparable as a regional for-profit school with similar program mix, hands-on training approach, and target demographic of adult career-changers.
• Tulsa Welding School: Specialized welding trade school offering hands-on welding training across multiple processes (TIG, MIG, stick). Closely comparable in curriculum focus, hands-on lab model, and target learner (career-changers seeking fast workforce entry) to ETI's welding program.
• Fortis Institute: Multi-campus for-profit career college with HVAC/R and skilled trades programs. Comparable as an accredited trade school serving similar entry-level career-focused adult learner segments with comparable program lengths and certification pathways.

Emerging players

• Ashworth College: Nationally accredited online career school offering HVAC and related trade programs. Comparable as an alternative channel for skills training but lacks the hands-on lab intensity that anchors ETI's value proposition.
• Penn Foster: Nationally accredited online career school with HVAC and trade programs targeting adult learners. Comparable in being an alternative path to trade certification, but the online-only delivery positions it as a substitute rather than direct competitor to ETI's campus-based model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCp4iRKDiHRFcsqeaBfOUCDA
• Facebookfacebook.com/78621452658
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eti-school-of-skilled-trades-il
• Instagraminstagram.com/eti_school/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ETI School of Skilled Trades