Jump into a career with potential - Refrigeration and HVAC Certification Requires Little Time, Nets Great Opportunities

In the olden days of labor and technical careers, newcomer workers started as apprentices on the job. Rather than training in their field at a technical school or college, they learned new skill sets as they went, often working alongside a union worker, a relative, or a friend with connections in the trade. As some labor jobs like steel and manufacturing were shipped overseas, the "art" of many technical professions ceased to be passed on. In some cases, training for technical careers became incredibly difficult to seek out or break into.

Careers in refrigeration, HVAC, and other heating and cooling trades are different, however. New technologies developed in response to environmental legislation, consumer desire to save money on bills, and industry demand spell major changes for the refrigeration and HVAC industries. The complex nuances of installing, maintaining, and repairing heating and cooling equipment are now best taught with classroom and lab time. People who enroll in training courses that lead to refrigeration and HVAC certification are the best candidates for good entry-level jobs and high wages in the heating and cooling fields.

Technical schools offer training in heating and cooling technologies that enable students to seek refrigeration and HVAC certification. Many employers value refrigeration and HVAC certification, citing those students as the workers best qualified to be employed in the field. These technical training schools typically have faculty and staff who've had significant experience working in the refrigeration and HVAC fields. The instructors are also knowledgeable in the latest refrigeration and HVAC technologies and repair techniques. These schools tend to use hands-on refrigeration and HVAC training or lab time, allowing students to develop their skills in real-life settings. Upon completing a technologically progressive refrigeration and HVAC certification course of training, students will be prepared for the heating and cooling technician job market.

Thousands of American high school students each year spend money on four year liberal arts degrees, only to be devastated when, after graduation, they cannot find relevant employment in their fields of study. This is because while many college programs reinforce strong academic skills, they do not offer training in skills directly applicable to the office or workplace. Many refrigeration and HVAC certification training programs also offers direct career training and placement. The immediate transition from school to career is what distinguishes many technical schools from liberal arts colleges. Market saturation is another factor affecting the satisfactory employment of students who hold four-year degrees. Not every student can go into his or her field of study, because there are simply not enough entry-level careers in many fields. After completing a refrigeration and HVAC certification, students are able to enter careers in their fields and, careers with significant long-term growth potential, at that.

Refrigeration and HVAC certification is also a good option for women who are worried about hitting an income or career growth "ceiling." One of the major reasons the typical woman earns 70-odd cents to every man's dollar is because women forgo labor and industrial careers, seeking instead office or helper careers that tend to pay less. Most heating and cooling certification and training programs have far fewer female graduates than male graduates. However, women who do enter refrigeration and HVAC careers find that they can out-earn male counterparts in office careers; can experience significant wage raises and professional advancements; and encounter opportunities to achieve supervisory or management positions.

Refrigeration and HVAC systems have many component parts; some are mechanical and some are electronic. Students enrolled in refrigeration and HVAC certification and training programs will learn how these systems are put together, and how each component part works separately and together to enable temperature change or regulation. They also learn how to test systems and repair malfunctioning systems or components. Troubleshooting and diagnostics are important parts of the refrigeration and HVAC certification and training. Also essential to the training process is learning how to recycle used or discarded refrigeration and HVAC component parts, which can discharge harmful chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's). Upon leaving a heating and cooling certification and training program, students will understand how refrigeration, ventilation, heating, and air conditioning systems work, inside and out. Technical schools combine lectures with hands-on applications of refrigeration and HVAC diagnostics and repair for small, residential systems and large, commercial HVAC setups. Career opportunities upon completing a heating and cooling certification range from ballpark A/C systems to office HVAC maintenance to soda and ice machine repair and more.

Classroom theory, hands-on training, and career placement set HVAC certification and training programs apart from other schools and colleges. Students learn the critical thinking skills necessary to adapt what they learn in school to workplace situations and new HVAC repair issues. Academic and career counseling helps students to complete their refrigeration and HVAC academic experiences. Those students who are invested in their education including seeking as much assistance from instructors and counselors as possible are able to discover life-long, real-world success in refrigeration, heating, and cooling careers.