HVAC Graduates Are Ready for Growing Job Prospects

There are job opportunities in the area for graduates of Air Conditioning Program, also known as Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), according to Dale Thornton, Associate Professor and program coordinator.

HVAC job prospects are expected to increase 33 percent from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the mean average hourly wage in the Ashland, Huntington, Ironton metropolitan area in 2012 was $18.37.

Area employers have included Ashland Furnace, General Heating and Air Conditioning, contracting firms, hospitals and apartment complexes.

The program combines hands-on training with the HVAC knowledge needed to pass Federal and Kentucky licensing exams. Students learn to install, maintain and repair air conditioning, refrigeration and heating system equipment, including geothermal or ground source heat pumps.

"While completing a diploma, our students earn up to a year of HVAC apprenticeship credit, Thornton said. Students can also be certified in the proper use of refrigerants as required by the Environmental Protection Agency before they graduate.

For details on spring classes, contact Thornton, at 606.326.2469 or email: jack.thornton@kctcs.edu after January 5.