| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Type | Private technical training school; campus-based, all classes in person |
| Campus | 1, in Lewisville, Texas (Dallas-Fort Worth area), since early 2025 |
| Credentials | Certificates of Completion |
| Program length | 6 weeks, 240 clock hours, Monday to Friday 7:00 am to 3:30 pm |
| Accreditation | ACCET; approved by the Texas Workforce Commission, Career Schools and Colleges |
| Federal aid | Does not appear to be offered; GI Bill, VR&E, SkillBridge, WIOA and an in-house loan are accepted |
| Cost | $12,000 per trade program, July to December 2026 |
| Graduates | 2,000+ since 2020, according to the school |
| Founded | 2018, as TRACOM; renamed ForgeNow in 2020-21 |
| Facts checked | October 2026 |
ForgeNow: six-week trade programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area
ForgeNow is a private technical training school that runs short, full-time trade programs from a single campus in Lewisville, north of Dallas. Its catalog calls it “a technical training company”, and it describes itself as veteran-led. It began in 2018 as TRACOM (Training Command Career Academy), took over the assets of Texas Career Center in late 2019 and ran its first heating and cooling class in Dallas in January 2020. It was renamed ForgeNow in 2020 or 2021 (its website and catalog give different years).
The school added electrical and plumbing programs after HVAC, became eligible for the GI Bill in 2022 and moved to a larger campus in Lewisville in early 2025. It says it passed its 2,000th graduate in 2026.
Three trade programs, plus a new project-management course
The website lists three programs, HVAC, Electrical Wiring and Plumbing, all available in every cohort. Each is a 240-hour Certificate of Completion taught in person in Lewisville, and the certification exams in the table are included in the price. Facilities Maintenance is still in the July 2026 catalog but no longer appears on the website, so it may no longer be offered; ask before planning on it.
| Program | Credential | Length | Certifications included | Total cost, Jul-Dec 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC Maintenance Technician | Certificate of Completion | 6 weeks, 240 hours (102 lecture, 138 lab) | EPA 608 Universal; Low GWP refrigerant safety | $12,000 |
| Electrical Wiring | Certificate of Completion | 6 weeks, 240 hours (114 lecture, 126 lab) | OSHA 10; Arc Flash electrical safety | $12,000 |
| Plumbing | Certificate of Completion | 6 weeks, 240 hours (119 lecture, 121 lab) | OSHA 10; Confined Space Entry (construction) | $12,000 |
| Data Center Assistant Project Manager | Certificate of Completion | 6 weeks, 240 hours (158 lecture, 82 lab) | OSHA 10; eligibility for the CAPM exam | $18,000 |
| Facilities Maintenance (may no longer be offered) | Certificate of Completion | 6 weeks, 240 hours | EPA 608 Universal; OSHA 10 | $12,000 |
Neither the program pages nor the readable catalog text mentions an externship; the hands-on work described takes place in the school’s labs. The catalog gives a ratio of up to 30 students per instructor in the classroom and 20 in the lab. The school also sells optional short seminars that award no credential: EPA certification prep ($200, 6 hours), advanced refrigeration ($500, 10 hours) and Low GWP prep ($200, 5 hours).
What the main programs cover
HVAC Maintenance Technician
The HVAC program has six modules of 40 hours each: safety and brazing, HVAC electrical, installation and troubleshooting, installation and ductwork, residential heat, and a final practicals module. Of the 240 hours, 138 are lab work. The program prepares students for two certifications, EPA 608 Universal and Low GWP refrigerant safety, and the exam fees are part of the price. The school names residential service, HVAC contractors, apartment maintenance and facilities work as the jobs graduates go into. An optional advanced refrigeration seminar is sold separately.
Electrical Wiring
Electrical Wiring is a residential program in six modules: safety and code, blueprints and rough-ins, device and component installation, an introduction to conduit, load calculations and service, and practicals. It has 114 lecture hours and 126 lab hours. Students earn OSHA 10 and Arc Flash electrical safety training, which are safety credentials rather than trade licences. The program page mentions neither a Texas electrician licence nor apprentice registration, so the certificate alone does not make a graduate a licensed electrician.
Plumbing
Plumbing has the most classroom time of the three trade programs: 119 lecture hours and 121 lab hours. The six modules cover an introduction to the plumbing industry, plumbing mathematics, drain-waste-vent and an introduction to potable water systems, fixtures and water heaters, a punch-list module that is mostly lab work (31 of 40 hours), and practicals. Students earn OSHA 10 and Confined Space Entry (construction) cards. The school does not say that the program leads to a Texas plumbing licence.
Data Center Assistant Project Manager
This is ForgeNow’s newest program, added in September 2026 and listed for the two fall 2026 cohorts. It runs on the same six-week weekday schedule as the trade programs but leans on classroom work: 158 lecture hours and 82 lab hours, covering construction project fundamentals through commissioning and close-out. Students earn OSHA 10 and become eligible to sit for the CAPM project-management exam. At $18,000 it costs half as much again as the trade programs.
$12,000 per trade program, and how students pay
ForgeNow charges one price per program for every student, with no district, state or veteran pricing tiers. The figures below come from the catalog in force from 1 July to 31 December 2026. We found no 2027 prices when we checked.
| Program | Tuition | Tools | Books | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC Maintenance Technician | $11,230 | $630 | $140 | $12,000 |
| Electrical Wiring | $11,210 | $630 | $160 | $12,000 |
| Plumbing | $11,230 | $630 | $140 | $12,000 |
| Facilities Maintenance | $11,256 | $630 | $114 | $12,000 |
| Data Center Assistant Project Manager | $17,765 | $65 | $170 | $18,000 |
The price includes a starter tool kit, a uniform and PPE, the certification exams and what the school calls lifetime career services. The catalog lists no registration fee. Students can cancel for a full refund within 72 hours of signing or within the first three class days; after that, the most favourable of the ACCET, Texas Veterans Commission and Texas Workforce Commission refund rules applies.
ForgeNow’s catalog does not list federal student aid (Pell Grants or federal student loans) among its payment options, and the school does not appear to offer it. Students pay with the GI Bill or VR&E, WIOA funding, contractor sponsorship, outside scholarships, private loans, a 36-month in-house loan serviced by TFC Credit Corporation of California (the rate depends on the down payment), or cash or card. The school says it has no tuition scholarships of its own. It is also a DoD SkillBridge provider for the electrical, HVAC and plumbing programs.
The veterans page lists the VA chapters accepted, including Chapter 33 (Post-9/11), Chapter 31 (VR&E), Chapter 30, Chapter 35, Fry, 1606, VRRAP and VEAP. The catalog says one program uses about 5.5 to 6 months of Post-9/11 entitlement, even though classes last six weeks.
Admissions and cohort dates
Applicants must be 18, or 17 with a parent’s or guardian’s permission, and hold a high school diploma or GED or have completed 12 semester or 18 quarter hours of college. Some applicants, including those with foreign diplomas, take a Wonderlic high school equivalency test; the school does not admit students without a diploma or equivalent. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents, and teaching is in English only. Tuition must be paid or arranged before enrolling, and late enrollment is allowed up to the third day of a cohort.
There are seven cohorts a year. The last 2026 cohort runs from 2 November to 16 December. The 2027 cohorts start on 11 January, 1 March, 19 April, 7 June, 26 July, 13 September and 1 November.
Accreditation and results
ForgeNow is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training (ACCET). The school says it was granted full three-year accreditation at the end of 2023, on its first attempt, so a renewal decision is likely due around late 2026. It is approved and regulated by the Texas Workforce Commission’s Career Schools and Colleges office. Its HVAC, Electrical Wiring, Plumbing and Facilities Maintenance programs are approved by the VA, and we found no programmatic accreditation for any of its programs.
ForgeNow publishes no completion, job placement or earnings rates, and its program pages say it “does not guarantee employment or specific earnings”. The only outcome figure is the school’s own count of 2,000+ graduates since 2020.
Before you enroll
- None of the program pages says it qualifies graduates for a Texas trade licence, and Electrical Wiring does not lead to a Texas electrician licence on its own. The certifications are EPA refrigerant cards and OSHA and other safety cards, not trade licences.
- Federal student aid does not appear to be available, so students without military benefits, SkillBridge, WIOA, a contractor sponsor or an outside scholarship pay $12,000 themselves or through a loan.
- Veterans should weigh the entitlement used: the catalog says a six-week program uses about 5.5 to 6 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
- No completion or placement rates are published, and no externship or named employer partners are listed. Ask for recent completion and placement figures in writing.
- ACCET’s three-year grant from the end of 2023 is likely due for renewal around late 2026. Ask the school about the current status.
One campus in Lewisville
All classes take place at 2701 Highpoint Oaks Dr, Suite 210, Lewisville, TX 75067, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The school moved there in early 2025 from 8900 John W. Carpenter Freeway in Dallas, an address some directories still show. There is no online option.
Lodging grant and career help
Students who live more than 30 miles in a straight line from the campus can apply for a Lodging Grant. It pays for shared lodging from the day before classes start to the day after they end, and a background check is required. The school offers lifetime career services but names no employer partners on its program pages.
Facts checked October 2026.
Programs & Courses
Skilled Trades (6-week Certificates of Completion)
- HVAC Maintenance Technician (240 clock hours)
- Electrical Wiring (240 clock hours)
- Plumbing (240 clock hours)
- Facilities Maintenance (240 clock hours; in the July 2026 catalog but not on the school's website, so it may no longer be offered)
Project Management
- Data Center Assistant Project Manager (6 weeks; new in fall 2026)
Optional Seminars (no credential)
- EPA Certification Prep (6 hours)
- Advanced Refrigeration (10 hours)
- Low GWP Prep (5 hours)
Campus Locations
Dallas (Lewisville), TX 2701 Highpoint Oaks Dr, Suite 210, Lewisville, TX 75067