In this era of new construction, energy conservation and environmental concerns, job prospects for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians are looking “very good,” according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Mike Bishop, service manager for York International in Elmhurst and past president of the Carol Stream-based Northern Illinois chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, agrees. “You have people who want to conserve energy,” he said. “How do you do that? By making sure your equipment is well-maintained.”
Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technicians work wherever climate control equipment is required, including homes, commercial and office buildings, hospitals, supermarkets, warehouses and factories.
Heating-equipment technicians install oil, gas, electric, solid-fuel and multiple-fuel heating systems, using blueprints, design specifications and manufacturers’ instructions to complete the installation. They later perform routine maintenance and repairs.
Air conditioning and refrigeration technicians handle installation and maintenance of motors, compressors, condensing units, piping and other key parts of central air conditioning systems and refrigeration equipment.
While some still learn on the job, most employers prefer candidates who have completed technical-school programs or apprenticeships. Six-month to two-year programs in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration are offered by secondary and post-secondary technical schools and community colleges.
But Bishop said employers seek “the guy who can apply what he’s learned and use the tools when he has the equipment in front of him.”
Apprenticeship programs last three to four years and offer a mix of on-the-job training and classroom instruction in blueprint reading, use of tools and other skills.
For more information:
The Northern Illinois chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America can be reached at www.niacca.org.
HEATING/AIR CONDITIONING TECHNICIANS
Median salary: $14.02 and hour in 1998
Education/training: Technical school or apprenticeship
Outlook: 10 to 20 percent growth through 2008
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E-mail: tribjobs@tribune.com
