HVAC-R and Energy Systems

Experience is not necessary. However, general construction experience will help, and moderate math skills will greatly benefit your experience in the class.

Students can go straight to the workforce. For those working in Vanderburgh County, however, you will need to be enrolled in a recognized training program (like Ivy Tech) to qualify for work in Vanderburgh County only.

Very few times in the career of an HVAC technician will you be expected to take your work home with you, so those expectations carry on to this class. There is very little extra work outside of class hours.

Students may have to replace safety equipment as it is worn through the year (gloves, glasses) and have their own tape measure, but most tools and study material are provided. In the industry, employees in most cases furnish hand tools only, and power and specialty tools are provided by the employer.

Chances for employment will vary from student to student and greatly depend upon employment history and achieving the required certifications offered in HVAC I and II. Since most students do not have the chance to work full-time and develop an experienced resume, I strongly encourage students to work a part-time job at every opportunity to develop strong character references.

Yes, the course features an immense amount of lab hours working with modern equipment and a variety of shop projects.

HVAC is a very diverse field. Skills learned range from installation and construction, service and troubleshooting, and electronics and controls. Another important part of the industry is sales and distribution, which is a huge part of the industry. So you can work with your hands or work in an office setting. Either way, there is a lot of money to be earned with HVAC knowledge.