How Trane Technologies’ Graduate Training Program Creates Global Industry Leaders
Through a mix of technical development, real-world application and shared purpose, Trane Technologies’ Graduate Training Program is launching the next generation of engineering sales leaders.
What happens when you combine ambitious graduates, cutting-edge HVAC technology and a company that's reshaping how the world uses energy? You get one of the most comprehensive and prestigious training programs in the HVAC industry, careers that make a difference and graduates who go on to excel personally and professionally.
You've spent four years mastering thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and engineering principles. You've aced your finals, walked across that stage, and landed your first job. Then reality hits: the gap between textbook knowledge and real-world application can feel impossibly wide.
"When you graduate, you’ve had four or five years of studying. Then you get to the field, and you feel like you don't really know a ton," admits Madison Smith, who joined after completing her biomedical engineering degree in Canada. "The ability to come to a program that's able to train you and ramp you up is really helpful.
A world-renowned program to catapult careers
Trane Technologies knows there’s often a university-to-industry gap, which is why it designed its world-class five-month immersive program that provides recent graduates with comprehensive technical, business, sales engineering and leadership training. With more than 8,700 graduates to date, this industry-respected program is set in beautiful La Crosse, Wisconsin, a town renowned for being a vibrant educational hub.
"I signed up for the graduate training program because it's just such a great opportunity that other companies in our industry don't have," explains Noah Hernandez from Trane Technologies’ new systems division. "We're really well-equipped when we get into the field.".
Building more than technical skills
The Graduate Training Program (GTP) was started in 1926 by Reuben Trane to train engineers and sales personnel on how to sell and apply new HVAC technologies. Today, it offers three distinct pathways, each designed for different career trajectories:
- Technical Sales GTP: Perfect for engineers who want to combine technical expertise with client relationships and business impact
- Energy Engineer GTP: For those passionate about energy audits, conservation measures and working with the world's leading energy experts
- Contracting Project Management GTP: Designed to build technical project management skills and creative problem-solving abilities.
But the program goes beyond the deeply technical, helping nurture participants as complete professionals. “The program as a whole is there to develop you as a person entirely. We've focused on things like time management, presentation skills, and just knowing yourself and what you can improve on. We've also taken tests to gauge the type of learner you are, what your strengths are and where you need help,” explains Noah.
That kind of self-awareness and skill-building forms the foundation of Trane Technologies’ holistic approach, shaping engineers into leaders who can communicate complex technical concepts with confidence, build lasting client relationships and drive a meaningful impact for our customers and our planet.
For Carter Bloomquist, those lessons are already taking root. "I'm excited to bring my technical knowledge back home, but also the knowledge I've learned about building relationships and about just my personal self as well," says Carter Bloomquist, who's preparing for his role as a systems account manager in Twin Cities, Minnesota.
Encouraging curiosity and community
The GTP is expertly designed and honed year after year to maximize learning efficiency and classroom camaraderie, building both technical knowledge and lasting professional relationships. "They've done a flipped classroom, where we learn lectures online and then come in person to practice together," Madison explains. "It's been a really awesome experience so far."
Perhaps the most unexpected benefit? The people. "It's one of the greatest decisions you could ever make. You learn so much and you make such great friends. Also, everyone's coming from different places... just a ton of cultures coming together and hanging out," Carter shares.
While in the program, each participant is paired with a dedicated mentor on staff, offering intensive, personalized guidance from industry veterans who are just as invested in your success as you are. "Our mentors are a source for us to go and say where we're struggling, if we need help or what we can improve on," says Noah.
The difference is in making a difference
Beyond connections and personal and professional development, our GTP students are excited for their work to have global impact. Madison, who studied biomedical engineering before pivoting to HVAC, now sees her role in a bigger context. “I’m really interested in AI and how that's going to make buildings more sustainable.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Carter, "As people, it's our duty to make the world a better place for tomorrow," Carter reflects. "We're setting a new standard for what companies should be doing for the world."
Your meaningful career starts here
Whether you'll be working with healthcare clients, supporting engineers or partnering with sustainability-focused contractors, at Trane Technologies, you're joining a mission that extends far beyond engineering. That’s because we’re not just optimizing systems; we’re reshaping how the world uses energy. Ready to turn your engineering degree into a career with global impact?
Explore a wide variety of early career and engineering opportunities at Trane Technologies.
