Career Opportunities in Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
Discusses the various opportunities in the heating,
air conditioning and refrigeration industry.
Become part of the
o heating
o air conditioning
o refrigeration industry...
an exciting industry dedicated to
quality of life and our future!
This industry is involved! It is a pioneer in the research and
application of more efficient, cost-effective equipment and procedures.
Many new, exciting energy-saving innovations are being developed.
Demand for these imaginative, new developments is increasing every
day. Rapidly expanding service and new technology in this field
constantly provide new jobs. MANY OPPORTUNITIES ARE WAITING FOR
PEOPLE TRAINED IN THIS FIELD.
The air conditioning, refrigeration and heating industry offers
essential services and great variety of occupations, job security,
mobility and unlimited career opportunities.
Essential Services
------------------
This industry provides the technology to control the environment in
any enclosed area, from a home to a space capsule. A desired temperature
can be maintained. Humidity can be increased or decreased. The air
can be filtered and cleaned of pollutants. This know-how to install
and maintain special environments for people, products, and perishables
is essential to our lives today.
People must be warned to survive cold weather. Many items, such as
vaccines, must be kept at cool temperatures to exist. Much of our
food is refrigerated. This vast industry touched almost every facet
of our lives.
People
------
Skilled specialists create, install and maintain healthy, comfortable
environments for people:
o in their homes
o in automobiles
o in factories
o in office buildings
o in schools
o in sports arenas
o in shopping malls
o in theaters
o on ships and boats
o in hospitals
o on trains
o in almost any structure where people live,
work or play, even in outer space.
Products
--------
Special "climates" must be created and maintained for products:
Transportation
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Another vital service is the industry's contribution to the
business of transporting and storing food and other perishables,
such as medicines. Several types of refrigeration systems have
been designed for transportation:
o Trucks
o Ships
o Trains
o Aircraft
o Storage
o Shipping containers
o Warehouses
o Distribution centers
o Even the refrigerators in our houses!
Variety
-------
The preceding lists contain only part of the needs met by this
innovative industry.
Practical applications for the skilled heating and air conditioning
specialist are everywhere. There is a job in this industry for
every talent and every disposition.
You may work alone, work with a team, create with your hands as
well as your head, work indoors, work outdoors, travel or stay in
an office, work for others or be your own boss and manage your own
business.
Many skilled service people in this field have decided to run
their own heating and air conditioning dealership company. The
industry needs experienced people to manage dealerships. Both
manufacturers and trade associations provide many aids to make
both workers and owners highly successful.
Job Security
------------
People are needed in so many areas of the heating and air
conditioning industry that they are in one of our country's most
stable industries. The supply of trained people has not kept pace
with the demand for many years.
Every new public building or complex which is constructed
requires installation mechanics, qualified service technicians,
operating engineers, maintenance foremen, and crews who are trained
to keep complex environmental systems operating. New technology
and new products which require refrigeration or special environments
create new demands and new jobs every day.
Mobility
--------
Because of the universal need for the services of heating and
air conditioning specialists, they can work in any area of the
country, on land or at sea, and in many foreign countries. Few
industries offer this complete choice.
The industry is divided into different types of employers located
in different areas. They are manufacturers, usually located in major
cities; wholesalers located in regional centers across the country
and contractors, plus large and small dealerships, which are located
in every town and city.
Government and utilities also need their own consulting personnel
and people to approve heating and air conditioning installations.
Opportunity
-----------
This rapidly expanding industry with its new technology not only
provides new job opportunities but creates numerous openings for
advancement. The industry encourages personal development. In many
cases, it subsidizes continuing education.
Many people who enter this field find that they can move into other
areas of the industry such as sales representative, estimator,
draftsman, designer, spec writer, serviceman, lab technician, and
wholesale operations.
How to Start
------------
Think about yourself-- your own interests, you talents, how you
like to work. Do you like to work alone, indoors, outdoors? Do
you like to work on a team, travel, deal with many people? Do
you like to create with your hands as well as your mind? Would
you like to manage your own business? Knowing more about yourself
can help you decide what type of career to pursue.
The most important step in starting your career is proper education
and training. A high school education is essential with particular
emphasis on mathematics, physics, blueprint reading, and metal shop.
Vocational/technical schools, private trade schools, and junior
colleges offer programs in heating, refrigeration, and air
conditioning. Talk to school counselors and local contractors who
are a part of the industry in your area.
Contact your local schools or state department of education for
lists of available programs. These programs cover subjects basic
to the industry such as cooling and heating components and
applications, basic electricity, commercial refrigeration, and basic
maintenance. This education will help you enter the industry-- from
then on, it is a career, unlimited.
You also can contact heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration
associations which will answer questions concerning specialized
areas and needed experience and training. There are local chapters
of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), Air Conditioning Contractors of America
(ACCA), National Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
(NAPHCC), Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES), Mechanical
Contractors Association of America, Inc. (MCAA), and Sheet Metal and
Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA).