ACTC HVAC Students Prepare for Jobs

There are job opportunities in the area for graduates of Air Conditioning Program, also known as Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), according to Richard Burnett, Chair of ACTCs Manufacturing, Transportation amp; Industrial Technology Division.

People who can build, repair or maintain equipment are in high demand, even in a weak economy. HVAC job prospects are expected to increase 28 percent during the 2008-18 decade, according to a College Bound Network story in October on In-Demand Skilled Trade Jobs.

Besides working on home heating and cooling systems for local contractors, HVAC technicians can work at facilities such as schools, hospitals, apartment complexes, nursing homes and large industrial plants that have HVAC departments.

Area employers have included AK Steel, Ashland Furnace, Camp;H Heating and Air Conditioning, Commercial Refrigeration of Huntington, General Heating and Air Conditioning, King's Daughters Medical Center and Slone Refrigeration.

The latest technology in geothermal HVAC, also known as ground source heat pumps, is included in the list of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment systems that students learn to install, maintain and repair.

The program combines practical hands-on training with the HVAC theory needed to pass Federal and Kentucky licensing exams.

"While completing a diploma, our students can earn up to 1500 hours of HVAC apprenticeship credit," Burnett said. Most students are also certified in the proper use of refrigerants as required by the Environmental Protection Agency before they graduate.

For details on spring classes, contact Associate Professor Dale Thornton, program coordinator, at 606-326-2469 or email: jack.thornton@kctcs.edu.