| In the olden days of labor and technical careers, | | | | After completing a technical certification, students are |
| newcomer workers started as apprentices on the | | | | able to enter careers in their fields - and, careers with |
| job. Rather than training in their field at a technical | | | | significant long-term growth potential, at that. |
| school or college, they learned new skill sets as they | | | | Technical training is also a good option for women |
| went, often working alongside a union worker, a | | | | who are worried about hitting an income or career |
| relative, or a friend with connections in the trade. As | | | | growth "ceiling." One of the major reasons the typical |
| some labor jobs like steel and manufacturing were | | | | woman earns 70-odd cents to every man's dollar is |
| shipped overseas, the "art" of many blue-collar | | | | because women forgo labor and industrial careers, |
| professions ceased to be passed on. In some cases, | | | | seeking instead office or helper careers that tend to |
| training for blue-collar careers became incredibly | | | | pay less. Most heating and cooling certification and |
| difficult to seek out or to break into. | | | | training programs have far fewer female graduates |
| Careers in heating and cooling trades are different, | | | | than male graduates. However, women who do enter |
| however. New technologies developed in response to | | | | refrigeration and HVAC careers find that they can |
| environmental legislation, consumer desire to save | | | | out-earn male counterparts in office careers; can |
| money on bills, and industry demand spell major | | | | experience significant wage raises and professional |
| changes for this industry. The complex nuances of | | | | advancements; and encounter opportunities to |
| installing, maintaining, and repairing heating and cooling | | | | achieve supervisory or management positions. |
| equipment are now best taught with classroom and | | | | Heating and cooling systems have many component |
| lab time. People who enroll in training courses that | | | | parts; some are mechanical and some are electronic. |
| lead to refrigeration and HVAC certification are ideal | | | | Students enrolled in refrigeration and HVAC schools |
| candidates for good entry-level jobs and high wages | | | | will learn how these systems are put together, and |
| in the heating and cooling fields. | | | | how each component part works separately and |
| Many technical HVAC schools provide training that | | | | together to enable temperature change or regulation. |
| leads to certification. Employers value certified | | | | They also learn how to test systems and repair |
| students, citing them as the workers best qualified to | | | | malfunctioning systems or components. |
| be employed in the field. Technical training schools | | | | Troubleshooting and diagnostics are important parts |
| typically have faculty and staff who've had significant | | | | of the training. Also essential to the training process is |
| experience working in the refrigeration and HVAC | | | | learning how to recycle used or discarded HVAC |
| fields. The instructors at technical career centers are | | | | component parts, which can discharge harmful |
| also knowledgeable in the latest heating and cooling | | | | chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's). |
| technologies and repair techniques. These training | | | | Upon leaving a heating and cooling certification |
| schools tend to use hands-on coaching or lab time, | | | | program, students will understand how HVAC |
| allowing students to develop their skills in real-life | | | | systems work, inside and out. Technical schools |
| settings. Upon completing a technologically | | | | typically combine lectures with hands-on applications |
| progressive certification-directed course of training, | | | | of equipment diagnostics and repair for small, |
| students will be prepared for the heating and cooling | | | | residential systems and large, commercial |
| technician job market. | | | | temperature regulation setups. Career opportunities |
| Thousands of American high school students each | | | | upon completing a heating and cooling certification |
| year spend money on four year liberal arts degrees, | | | | range from ballpark A/C systems to office |
| only to be devastated when, after graduation, they | | | | temperature systems maintenance to soda and ice |
| cannot find relevant employment in their fields of | | | | machine repair - and more. |
| study. This is because while many college programs | | | | Classroom theory, hands-on training, and career |
| reinforce strong academic skills, they do not offer | | | | placement set technical schools apart from other |
| training in skills directly applicable to the office or | | | | colleges. Students learn the critical thinking skills |
| workplace. Many technical training programs, | | | | necessary to adapt what they learn in school to |
| however, offer direct career training and placement. | | | | workplace situations and new repair issues. Academic |
| The immediate transition from school to career is | | | | and career counseling help students to complete their |
| what distinguishes many technical schools from liberal | | | | school experiences. Those students who are invested |
| arts colleges. Market saturation is another factor | | | | in their education - including seeking as much |
| affecting the satisfactory employment of students | | | | assistance from instructors and counselors as possible |
| who hold four-year degrees. Not every student can | | | | - are able to discover life-long, real-world success in |
| go into his or her field of study, because there are | | | | refrigeration, heating, and cooling careers. |
| simply not enough entry-level careers in many fields. | | | | |