Modern electronics have pushed the envelope to where it now is possible to monitor a heating system from a distance and diagnose a problem before making a service call. Grace said people who excel with computers are a premium in the HVAC industry. There also are part-time positions here for seniors, doing things like pulling permits, plus we need someone for accounting. Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn offers a variety of courses in its Energy Technology Department. HVAC technicians must pass an EPA refrigerant recovery test.
Certification is available from professional associations and adds to one's employability.
Less-skilled workers begin as trainees or apprentices. Trainees work alongside more skilled technicians installing, maintaining and repairing heat and air conditioning units. Local community colleges with programs for climate control technicians include Henry Ford, Macomb and Oakland community colleges. Michigan HVAC Vocational Training Center and Northwestern Technological Institute are trade schools with HVAC instruction. Jenny King is a Metro Detroit free-lance writer.