Apprenticeships last 4 years. When hiring, employers prefer high school graduates with mechanical aptitude who have had courses in shop math, mechanical drawing, electronics, and blueprint reading. A basic understanding of microelectronics is becoming more important because of the increasing use of this technology in equipment controls. Good physical condition also is necessary because workers sometimes have to lift and move heavy equipment. To keep up with changes in technology and to expand their skills, experienced mechanics may take courses offered by heating and air-conditioning equipment manufacturers and by associations such as the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America.
Mechanics can advance to positions as supervisors.
Those with sufficient money and managerial skill can open their own contracting careeres. Job Outlook Employment of heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics is expected to increase about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2000. Employment will increase as more homes and commercial and industrial buildings are constructed. Most job openings, however, will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations, retire, or leave the occupation for other reasons. Employment of heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics usually is not as sensitive to downturn in the economy as some other construction occupations because maintenance of existing systems and installation of new, more efficient equipment in existing buildings make up a large part of their work.