Now that Will Fabrizio is in charge of hiring heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) technicians, it makes total sense to him to reach back to the school where he was trained.

“We’ve actually had a few people come from Porter and Chester now,” said Will. “We’re always looking for qualified technicians and we have found them at PCI. The guys who come out of their program are always well-prepared.”

Will knows exactly what to expect from those graduates because he’s one himself. He finished the HVACR program at Porter and Chester Institute in 2012 and said he had jobs lined up before he even graduated.

“They helped me a get a job before I even left,” said Will. “I wound up with two jobs and had to choose. I rolled the dice with Paraco Gas and it’s worked out really well.”

Will started as an HVAC technician and was soon promoted. He is now the Service Manager for Connecticut and says that he really likes what he does, including all the responsibility he has as a manager.

“I was a car salesman and it was good,” said Will, “until the economy tanked.”

Noting that the long hours, iffy pay and on-call components of a life working on commission also didn’t mesh well with family life, Will said, “it was time for a career change.”

Will’s sister had gone through the Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) program at Porter and Chester Institute, so he decided to check out what they might have to offer for him.  HVACR seemed like a good fit and Will says that he was “thrilled” with the results. He says the instructors were great teachers and mentors and that he still keeps in touch with them and stays involved with the school through their PAC meetings. When it’s time to hire HVACR professionals, Will says he knows just where to look.

Will believes that HVACR is a good career choice with solid job prospects.

“I really recommend the profession. HVAC work is necessary, like the medical field,” said Will. “People will always need heating and cooling so there will always be demand for heating and cooling technicians”

According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, Will is right! They estimate that job growth for the industry through 2022 will be faster than average and note that there were more than 11,000 HVAC technicians employed in Connecticut and Massachusetts in 2014.

Does a career in HVACR sound like one for you? To learn more about the career, check out this cool infographic, and if you’d like a school tour visit us at Porter and Chester Institute. We have nine campuses in Connecticut and Massachusetts.