by christheacman | Aug 19, 2021 | HVAC Career, HVAC Classes, HVAC Education, HVAC Services, HVAC Technician, Technical Career
A career in HVAC repair and installation is a great career path for any person who is looking for a rewarding, challenging, and valuable career with an education that can be achieved in a fraction of the time and cost of a traditional four-year college. Not only that but there is no better place in the United States to start your HVAC career than right here in Texas.
It’s not just our Texas pride showing, a Texas HVAC career is truthfully one of the best paths you can take. Working in the HVAC industry in Texas requires you to be at your best, be the most knowledgeable about your craft, and gives you an opportunity to not just provide a valuable service but to be so much more than just that.
If you have thought about starting your career as a heating and cooling technician or installer but aren’t sure if it is right for you, let us help inspire you by telling you exactly why starting your career in Texas is the best way to start your career.
There is a demand for HVAC professionals
A combination of a long-standing labor shortage in the skilled trades workforce along with the labor shortage created in part by the coronavirus pandemic means there is a need for HVAC professionals across the United States now more than ever.
That demand is particularly being felt right here in Texas especially as we hit the peak of summer. Folks in Texas need their cooling equipment cared for, but there is a lack of skilled labor to serve them.
Coupled with the large amounts of job opportunities, the demand for labor in Texas means that once you complete your necessary training you have a good chance of securing a good-paying job right out of the gate. There are jobs available in Texas, and heating and cooling companies are willing to pay. Enough said!
Cooling is particularly valuable in Texas
Don’t get us wrong: properly working cooling systems are greatly appreciated all across the country. However, no one appreciates them quite as much as Texans. During summers in Texas, we can average highs in the upper 90’s every single day for months at a time. It gets so hot in Texas that the design temperature of HVAC systems has to be set for the 100’s in many of our state’s counties.
In some parts of the country, HVAC companies are at the mercy of the weather. Mild summers mean people can get by with what they have, which can affect their bottom lines significantly. Not here in Texas. Even a mild Texas summer can be brutally hot, meaning there will be plenty of work available each year.
We love Texas, but boy can it get hot! However, that means that Texans are especially appreciative of their HVAC service professionals. When it gets really, really hot lives are literally at stake. People won’t overlook the value of the service you provide to them.
Expert training available
Because of how important HVAC professionals are here in Texas, getting the proper training is of the utmost importance. This is why here at The Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating we are proud to provide the best HVAC training in Texas to best prepare students for the demands they will face.
Our school’s founder, Chris Walters, has been in the heating and cooling industry right here in Texas for over 30 years. He understands the importance of the servicemen and women in the industry provide and has dedicated his career as an educator to sharing everything he has learned over the course of his career.
When you start your career by getting your education here at The Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating, you know you are taking the best first step towards a Texas HVAC career.
Want to learn more about Chris Walters’ method or about opportunities to join our next session of classes? Click here to learn more.
by christheacman | Aug 9, 2021 | Customer Relations, HVAC Career, HVAC Services, News, Technical Career
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is slowly going away as more folks receive their vaccines, the world is currently dealing with another crisis in the form of the material shortage that is greatly impacting many businesses and industries. The HVAC industry is one that has been particularly affected.
Dealing with this material shortage has put a lot of pressure on the HVAC industry and HVAC professionals. The shortage has created significant difficulties in producing and acquiring important heating and cooling equipment, delaying installations and projects.
These pressures have frustrated both professionals and customers alike, making the landscape for incoming HVAC professionals uncertain. With a material shortage affecting the job they do and the services provided, should incoming HVAC professionals and those just beginning their education and training be concerned about the heating and cooling material shortage?
While this shortage is definitely something that heating and cooling professionals need to educate themselves on, fully understand, and account for, it should certainly not be something that should dissuade individuals from a rewarding and important career.
Why is there a material shortage?
First things first, why is there a material shortage to begin with? It is the result of a domino effect tipped off by the coronavirus pandemic. When the pandemic first hit and lockdowns were ordered across the world, manufacturers had to adjust. Many severely scaled back production, some had to lay off a large portion of their workforce, others had to shut their doors entirely.
During this time, the production of materials was limited which meant available inventory was quickly used up without being able to be replaced. That brings us to today. As the world continues to return more and more to normal, demand has ramped back up but that demand is not able to be kept up with due to still-limited labor forces and an almost non-existing inventory.
For HVAC, construction materials, as well as microchips used in smart heating and cooling systems like programmable thermostats, have been the items most drastically affected. Hardships obtaining these materials means HVAC manufacturers have been producing them at a slower rate.
This material shortage WILL end
All indicators are that this material shortage is something that will loom over manufacturers and affect businesses and industries for an extended period of time. However, as difficult of a crisis to navigate as this material shortage is, experts also continue to indicate that it isn’t permanent and it will eventually even out.
Microchip shortages, of particular relevance to the HVAC industry, are predicted to start slowly dwindling over the next two years. While this may still seem like a bit of time, considering the severity of the crisis, the fact that an endpoint is already in sight is a great indicator.
Other materials will follow the same trajectory, some sooner than others, and sooner or later things will return back to normal for the HVAC industry. Until then, your customer service skills as an HVAC professional will be of great importance as you help your customers understand and plan to work around the material shortage.
Set realistic expectations
Some of your customers may be so far removed from the material shortages impacting different businesses and not completely understand why their orders are taking so long to be fulfilled. As a heating and cooling expert, it will be up to you to help educate your customers.
Delays in new equipment installation will undoubtedly cause some frustration with your customers, so the best thing you can do to prepare them is to be transparent about the crisis and set realistic expectations for their projects.
Communication skills are an undervalued soft skill for heating and cooling installers and technicians and navigating the material shortage crisis will require everyone to be at their best.
Customers will still be counting on you
One of the biggest reasons why incoming HVAC professionals shouldn’t be discouraged by the material shortage is one simple fact: despite issues producing HVAC products, homeowners and business owners are going to continue to depend on the valuable service that those in the industry provide.
The summers aren’t going to suddenly stop being hot and the winters are not going to suddenly stop being cold. Across the country, the demand for HVAC maintenance, service, and new installation is not going to stop just because equipment is harder to come by. The world still needs hardworking and skilled professionals to put their skill set to work protecting their homes and businesses.
In fact, in addition to the material shortage, there is a similar labor shortage happening across many industries. This is of course nothing new to the skilled trades, which have been experiencing a need for labor for many years leading up to the pandemic.
Don’t be intimidated by the material shortage. There is still a need for services and there is a need for professionals like you! If you are interested in starting your career in HVAC with the best training available, learn more about the upcoming schedule of HVAC classes right here at The Training Center of Heating and Air Conditioning.
by christheacman | Jul 20, 2021 | HVAC Education, Technical Career
Let’s face it: college isn’t for everyone. Nor should it be. Many people don’t have the time or financial means to dedicate the next four years (at least) to attend a “regular” college or university. Luckily, there are lots of educational options available for those who wish to find a rewarding career without attending a four-year college or university.
A career in a skilled trade, like heating and cooling repair and installation, can be achieved faster and with a lower tuition through a non-four-year school and will give you the opportunity to learn a valued and valuable skill. But where do you turn for an education in a skilled trade? The answer has caused some amount of confusion.
When seeking an education in the trades, there are several different names for schools that get used: technical school, trade school, and vocational school. If you are one of the many people considering continuing your education and pursuing a career in a skilled trade, you have probably run into all of these terms and may be confused as to what the difference is between technical school, trade school, and vocational school.
In many ways, all of these names mean the same thing and are used interchangeably. However, there are a few subtle differences that are worth noting, especially if an education at one of these schools is in your future. Here are the important things you should know about each of these options for education.
What is a technical school?
A technical school, also called a technical college, is a one to two-year educational institution that offers degrees and certifications for a specific career or trade. Technical schools run the gamut from culinary arts, computer technology, cosmetology, automotive technology, HVAC, and many other fields.
Unlike a traditional four-year college, no prerequisite or general education classes are required and all your classes are focused on the specific field. Technical schools also tend to provide a blend of classroom education and hands-on learning.
What is a trade school?
By and large, trade schools and technical schools are very similar. Like a technical school, a trade school is a program that can be completed in a year or less, focusing on a specific career path or trade. The primary difference you’ll find between trade schools and technical schools is the exact career education they provide.
By definition trade schools typically focus on more hands-on careers and fields such as HVAC, automotive, plumbing, electricians training, carpentry, and the like whereas technical schools can offer education for more technical fields. As a result, trade schools spend more time doing hands-on education than classroom work. Trade schools will provide the appropriate certification necessary to immediately work in the chosen field after graduation.
What is a vocational school?
A vocational school can be thought of as somewhat of an umbrella term for both technical schools and trade schools. A vocation is simply a trade or profession, so this term is often used interchangeably when referring to both of these kinds of schools. Completing your education at a “vocational school” will provide you with the certification or degree you need to enter your chosen field.
The Training Center for Air Conditioning and Heating
So in the end, while each of these different names refers to slightly different institutions, each of them has the same goal: help you get the education and training you need to start the next chapter of your career.
That is what we strive for here at The Training Center of Heating and Air Conditioning. Call us a trade school, call us a technical school, call us a vocational school, we don’t care. We only care about one thing: helping prepare you for your future in heating and air conditioning.
Our 10-week program will provide you with the classroom education and hands-on training you’ll need to prepare for the necessary certifications, begin your new rewarding career, and ultimately find success in the industry. Not to mention, you’ll complete all of this in a fraction of the time and cost you would attending a four-year university.
If you are ready to begin your career in HVAC, learn more about our upcoming schedule of classes or ask us how you can sit in on a class for free to see if The Training Center of Heating and Air Conditioning and a career in HVAC is right for you.
by christheacman | Jul 7, 2021 | HVAC Career, Technical Career
There is a bit of a misconception about HVAC career paths. Many assume that after you get your education, training, and certifications from your heating and air conditioning training school your options for a job are either becoming an HVAC technician or an HVAC installer. While both of these career paths are very rewarding, HVAC career paths are not anywhere near as limited as the perceptions may be.
The truth is getting your certification in heating and air conditioning can open you up to a wide range of HVAC career paths, each with its own unique specialties and rewards. Some of them will keep you in homes and businesses helping out those in need, others will take you to worlds of innovation.
If you are considering pursuing education and training in the HVAC industry but are concerned about limited career options, let us put your mind at ease right here and now. Here are a few examples of the various HVAC career paths you can follow when you begin your career in the HVAC industry.
HVAC Technician/Installer
These positions are typically the first that come to mind when someone thinks about a career in HVAC. The reason for this is because this is the type of HVAC professional that people encounter and interact with the most as well as being a common first job for many new HVAC training graduates.
While it is true that a career as an HVAC technician or HVAC installer is a common career path, that doesn’t make it any less important or rewarding. Technicians and installers provide an invaluable service to customers (both residential and commercial) maintaining, troubleshooting, fixing, and installing furnaces, air conditioning systems, and other heating, cooling, and comfort systems. The average salary for a HVAC technician in Texas is around $42k per year.
Automotive HVAC Technician
HVAC technicians aren’t just relegated to working with in-home systems. Just about every single vehicle manufactured today, and the majority of those on the road right now, are equipped with air conditioning and heating systems. These systems require a specific skill set and require more than just a regular car mechanic to maintain and repair.
As an HVAC technician, you have the opportunity to specialize in HVAC areas outside of homes and businesses, including the automotive industry. Your career path may begin in a common fashion, but pursuing additional training and certifications can elevate your HVAC career into an entirely different area, with its own challenges, opportunities, and equipment to master.
Refrigeration Technician
A similar road for HVAC technicians can lead to a career in HVAC servicing commercial customers of another very different kind. Restaurants, hotels, and other similar establishments depend on the use of large refrigeration systems to store and preserve food and beverages to serve to their customers. Without properly running refrigeration, their food supplies spoil and they can’t serve their customers.
These large refrigeration systems, maybe not so surprisingly, utilize refrigeration equipment not so different from the cooling systems you’ll train to master at The Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating. Your career path as an HVAC technician can become one that specializes in troubleshooting, maintaining, repairing, and installing these refrigeration systems, providing very specialized and valuable services to commercial businesses. Technicians in this specialty average around 40k per year in Texas.
Solar Energy Technician
As the world looks to adopt more widespread use of clean and renewable energy sources, businesses from factories to retail locations have begun using solar energy as a primary source for their energy needs. In order to harness the energy from the sun, complex arrangements of solar panels are required to capture solar energy. The solar energy technicians that install, maintain, and fix these panels often start their careers in HVAC.
Your career in HVAC can lead you down a path of working with cutting-edge technology and green solutions to preserving natural resources. In the United States, 3% of electricity comes from solar energy and this figure is only going to grow. As a result, not only are solar energy technicians an exciting career path, job opportunities have increased by over 167%. Additional training will be required to work on these systems, but in Texas the average solar energy technician can make on average around $73k per year.
Wind Turbine Technician
Solar energy isn’t the only green energy technology available for HVAC professionals to adopt along their HVAC career path. The energy produced by wind turbines is clean, cost-effective, and is currently the largest source of renewable energy in the US. This has made wind turbine technicians one of the fastest growing and available jobs in the country, and one that can begin with training in the HVAC field.
Wind turbine technicians can make around $55k per year in Texas, and with the availability of jobs and the growing demand, this is a very appealing road for many HVAC professionals to take.
Because of the proficiency in electrical components, refrigeration, and problem-solving you will gain through your training and education, a whole world of opportunities await those in HVAC. All you need to do is find what interests you and pursue your passion. The demand for skilled labor across the board is high, so no matter which direction your HVAC career path goes there will be a place for you if you are willing to work hard and put in the work.
At The Training Center of Air Conditioning, we will provide you with the education, training, and certifications you will need to pursue whatever path you choose. Learn more about our 10-week course and our upcoming schedule of classes today.
by christheacman | Jun 8, 2021 | HVAC Career, News, Technical Career
As we continue to see the number of vaccinations across the country rise and the number of cases dropping, the end of the COVID-19 pandemic is becoming more and more visible. While we aren’t out of the woods quite yet, we are at a point in time where those of us in the HVAC industry can start looking forward to what the HVAC industry will look like post-COVID.
While leadership in the industry is predicting that 2021 and the future of the HVAC industry looks good, that doesn’t mean there won’t be repercussions of the pandemic affecting installers, technicians, and heating and cooling companies in the post-COVID world.
In fact, for the foreseeable future, there will indeed be some major changes to the demands of heating and cooling customers and new challenges that will have a major impact on the way the HVAC industry operates.
For those of you who will soon be completing your heating and cooling certification and training and entering the workforce or those of you interested in beginning your career by enrolling in our training program, here are some important things to think about in the industry going into a post-COVID world.
Air quality control will be a top priority
Since the beginning of the pandemic, prioritizing the air quality and ventilation of commercial and home buildings has been a CDC recommendation for helping reduce the risk of exposure to the virus. That has resulted in a surge of businesses and homes investing in air purification systems and filtration systems with effective results.
As we eventually reach a place in time where the Coronavirus itself becomes a more and more distant memory, the impact that it had on our outlook on safety and protection will linger. As home and business owners continue to prioritize air purification as a means to not only overcome the Coronavirus but also prevent a similar outbreak from occurring again, purchases of this type of equipment and service are on the rise and expected to reach a market of $28.3 billion by 2027.
Consumers are interested, and will continue to be interested, in investing in this equipment for years to come. As an HVAC technician, installer, or business owner, this means a steady stream of service requests will continue to come our way in both residential and commercial spaces. A market that those in the industry need to be ready to take advantage of.
This emphasis on air purification systems means HVAC professionals everywhere need to emphasize training and education about the various systems available, making sure they and their team of technicians are ready to educate and install these systems to best serve the safety and comfort of their customers. Air purification systems now need to become a core pillar in HVAC training.
Focus on safety practices
Masks, gloves, regular hand washing, social distancing, all of these safety measures have become a part of our daily lives. For those in the home service industry, they have been especially important as our jobs take us into the homes of our customers, some complete strangers, who need to feel safe and protected in your presence.
As more and more get access to the vaccine, these social distancing precautions in public spaces will inevitably begin to lax. However, in the comfort and safety of their own home, many customers may still wish for strangers to continue to practice safety. In order to serve the best interest of the customers we serve, even as the number of vaccinations rises, we recommend continuing to practice social distancing and hygienic practices.
You never know when a customer will feel uneasy about the presence of a stranger in the fallout of this pandemic. HVAC technicians should still continue to carry masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers in their vehicles and be respectful of social distancing for the foreseeable future when dealing with customers directly.
Supply and material shortages
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on all businesses, but manufacturers were especially hard hit. Plant shutdowns, lay-offs, and difficulties with trade throughout the pandemic have culminated in a large material shortage for important and once abundant materials important to the HVAC industry like copper and plastics used in the manufacturing of HVAC equipment as well as microchips important in the programming of smart home technology.
While experts are hopeful that this shortage we are experiencing will eventually resolve itself, for the foreseeable future it will cause HVAC business owners and customers alike quite a bit of difficulty to navigate.
Material shortages are resulting in longer lead times in manufacturing and delivery equipment. This means a customer’s order for a new air conditioner will take far longer than usual to be fulfilled. As we head into the hottest months of the year, this is going to be quite frustrating for customers.
As professionals in the industry, it will be our responsibility to educate our customers of this shortage, understand its impact, and help them make the best decisions to help navigate it, like encouraging customers to schedule their pre-seasonal inspections and maintenance earlier than they usually might. Doing so will allow them ample time to identify any issues and get their orders in for parts and replacement early.
From material shortages causing delays in your sales process to an urgency and emphasis by buyers to take advantage of air filtration and ventilation systems, there will be a lot of adjustments that need to be made by HVAC professionals to navigate the post-COVID world. However, all of this just means that well-trained and knowledgeable technicians and installers will be in demand more than ever.
Learn more about our schedule of upcoming classes and start your career today.
by christheacman | Apr 6, 2021 | HVAC Classes, News, Technical Career
Did you see the news about some changes happening here at The Training Center of Air Conditioning and Heating? We have recently changed the format of our HVAC classes from a 14-week class format to a new 10-week format.
The adjustment in the length and format of our classes may seem like quite a big change, but ultimately it is a change that we think will be of great benefit to both our students and our school.
We wanted to take a little bit of time to explain exactly what the change from 14-week classes to 10-week will mean and what changes will happen as a result.
Why the change?
Over the years of teaching, Chris Walters, the school’s founder, has continued to fine-tune and perfect the curriculum we conduct for our students. As a result, Chris and our staff have gotten very efficient… not to toot our own horn. With our staff knowing what topics need more emphasis and what topics require less time, many of our recent 14-week classes have started to become trimmed of fluff and finished up ahead of schedule!
So, in order to help our students complete their education and get into the field a whopping four weeks early, we decided to just completely change our schedule since our classes were trending that way anyway.
With a new 10-week format, our students can start finding work and making a living in their new field sooner than ever.
What is different?
While it seems like trimming four weeks off our HVAC classes is a significant cut, we assure you it really isn’t! The 14-week and 10-week classes have the same schedule, cover the same topics, and contain the same information. We have simply just tightened things up.
By maximizing efficiency in the classroom because of the shorter class duration, our new 10-week format allows us to actually spend more time than ever on hands-on training and education. Mastery of heating and cooling equipment servicing can only happen through doing. This approach helps our students get more comfortable with the equipment and techniques and helps better prepare them for entering the workforce.
The other difference created by shortening our class durations is that it allows us to add another class session! We are now able to offer morning, evening, and afternoon classes now instead of just morning and evening, allowing us to admit and train more students throughout the course of the year!
How can I sign up?
Our new 10-week program is offered four times every year with morning, evening, and afternoon options. Right now, the training school is busier than we have ever been, which means available spots are going away fast!
But, the change and newly created afternoon has also created more opportunities for admission! If you are interested in starting a rewarding career in the HVAC industry here in Texas, you’ll find no better curriculum or training staff anywhere else that will prepare you with the knowledge and hands-on experience you need to succeed.
Check out our schedule of upcoming HVAC classes, learn more about the curriculum, and how to apply to join the school here! If you aren’t sure if HVAC is right for you, you can also ask us about sitting in on a 3-hour class free of charge!
