Hi Tara,
Blended training is by far the best. It is great to have hands-on experience, but, do you as a maintenance technician know
why something is in need of repair. It's also great to have classroom/textbook instruction, but, it is only
theory if you can't lay your hands on equipment. It is best to have an instruction in air conditioning theory, and then take the technician to a malfunctioning air conditioner and apply the classroom training. It will "click" for them much faster. This would apply to any industry, not just our own. You wouldn't let your cousin perform a triple bypass on you just because he read a textbook on heart surgery, would you? Of course, not.
Being a maintenance man myself I would like to see every company invest in the education and training of its technicians. It would reduce turnover, increase job satisfaction, and property managers could rest assured that the number of contractor call-outs would decrease sharply.
Hope this answer helps