American Skilled Trades Academy Graduates First Class of Generator Technicians

Five graduates of ASTA's inaugural cohort will join PowerChampions depots in Sumter and Greenville, South Carolina

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PowerChampions, a people-first critical power services platform building a national network of generator service providers and electrical contractors, today announced the graduation of the first cohort of the American Skilled Trades Academy (ASTA), its independent training organization dedicated to solving the skilled labor shortage facing the critical power industry. Five generator technicians completed the inaugural nine-week program and will now join PowerChampions depots in Sumter and Greenville, South Carolina.

ASTA is the first entity in power generation to offer third-party-validated, performance-based technician certifications. The organization was built to train Thinking Technicians: problem solvers who understand systems, think critically and are prepared to meet the demands of today's increasingly complex infrastructure environments. The curriculum follows an 80/20 model — 20% classroom instruction and 80% hands-on performance. To graduate, every apprentice must pass both written exams and hands-on performance tests, demonstrating mastery at multiple checkpoints before earning a credential. Graduates leave with industry-recognized credentials, including OSHA 10 and ASTA's EPSS credentials, that verify the skills needed to service and troubleshoot emergency power supply systems. Over the next 12 months, they will continue training on the job and begin new learning journeys that include complex repairs, troubleshooting specialized components such as automatic voltage regulators (AVRs) and governors, reactive load bank testing, and paralleling controls.

"These new technicians learned to troubleshoot from first principles, not just swap out parts," said Tom Wein, co-founder of ASTA. "Graduating them as credentialed, revenue-ready technicians is exactly the outcome we set out to achieve."

Rather than compete for a shrinking pool of technicians, PowerChampions made the decision to build its own talent pipeline. The approach is already paying off in speed: ASTA graduates are ready to generate revenue immediately upon completion, compared to the six- to 12-month ramp typical of traditional apprenticeships.

"We started PowerChampions to build something durable, and that starts with people," said Ashish Achlerkar, founder and CEO of PowerChampions and co-founder of ASTA. "Graduating our first class of ASTA technicians is proof of our commitment. These five graduates are walking straight into our depots ready to do the work, and they represent the strong foundation we're building for PowerChampions."

More than 80% of ASTA's leadership team are veterans, including Wein, who served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and previously built Generac's global technician training network to 28 centers and 78 instructors worldwide, reducing warranty return rates to under 0.5%. ASTA seeks out veterans for their work ethic, focus and real-world experience solving problems under pressure.

With PowerChampions anticipating significant growth in the next few years, its partnership with ASTA provides a scalable workforce development model designed to keep pace with expansion. Building on the success of its inaugural class, ASTA has the capability to launch new apprentice cohorts on a rolling basis every two weeks, with the capacity to train upwards of 350 new technicians annually. This approach positions PowerChampions to develop a consistent pipeline of credentialed, field-ready technicians, helping eliminate one of the industry's most significant bottlenecks—the shortage of skilled labor—while supporting the continued expansion of its national network.

About PowerChampions

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., PowerChampions is a people-first, technology and training-enabled critical power platform that is building a national network of locally operated service companies and branded depots. By combining national scale with deep local expertise, PowerChampions delivers generator installation, maintenance, and energy resiliency solutions that keep critical facilities powered and protected. Through investment in training, operational excellence, and advanced technology, PowerChampions empowers its teams to deliver best-in-class service and raises the standard for the skilled trades and the customers they serve. Learn more at power-champions.com.

About the American Skilled Trades Academy (ASTA)

The American Skilled Trades Academy (ASTA) is an independent training organization co-founded by Ashish Achlerkar and Tom Wein to build the skilled workforce the critical power industry needs. ASTA is the first entity in power generation to offer third-party-validated, performance-based technician certifications, training Thinking Technicians through a nine-week, 80/20 hands-on curriculum backed by NFPA 110, OSHA 10, and NOCTI credentials. Learn more at astalearning.com.

Tami Kelly
TKPR, Inc.cell: 925-640-9997
[email protected]

SOURCE PowerChampions