When you’re stuck in the middle of the night without any heat, you don’t want to be second-guessing whether or not the technician crossing your doorstep has the qualifications to fix your faulty burner. You just want your heat back on! And you don’t want that technician’s mistakes to make a bad situation even worse. That’s why it’s so important that your HVACR tech has the right skills to do the job right: Training: Whether the technician is coming to fix your air conditioning, heating or refrigeration units, you want assurances that they’ve been properly trained. Find out if they have the industry certifications required in your state. Ask your tech whether or not they received their training through an accredited school. Did they learn from professionals in the field? You want to know that they know what they’re doing and finding out how and where they were trained is a good place to start. Experience: Your technician’s experience says a lot about their ability to find and fix your problem. Time is a good teacher, but so is hands-on training using industry specific tools and equipment. A properly trained technician knows how to install, maintain and troubleshoot an assortment of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration units because they’ve seen the units in action. At Porter and Chester Institute, our Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) students spend a lot of their time working with their hands. By the time they finish their program, our students have the experience you’d be looking for in a well-trained technician. Versatility: It’s not enough for your technician to know how to work on one or two makes and models of HVACR units. An effectively trained technician needs to know how to work on units that run on electricity, gas and oil. They need to be trained on the most modern technologies out there, but also on the older models that are still keeping businesses and homes warm and cool. If you like working with your hands and your brain, the HVACR industry might be right for you. You’ll get to provide a valuable service, keep busy every day and work in a career with lots of job opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for HVACR technicians is soaring. Job growth is expected to grow by 34 percent through 2020. If you’re interested in training for a career in HVACR, check out the HVACR program at Porter and Chester Institute today.