Ken Myers, Construction Technology Management instructor at CCC, stands next to a Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration model that helps illustrate HVACR concepts to students. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Heating. Ventilation. Air Conditioning. Refrigeration. Oh, my!
Coconino Community College will now be offering a certification in Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) this fall thanks to a generous grant from the Del E. Webb Foundation. The program includes training in Plumbing, Blueprint Reading and Estimating, Basic Electrical Theory, House Wiring, Building Methods. International Residence Code and HVACR.
“The best thing about this program is the amount of opportunities students will have in building a career in the trades and knowing that we had a part in their success,” said Ken Myers, Construction Technology Management faculty at CCC. “My favorite part is using all of the new ‘real world’ technology and equipment we purchased through the Del Webb grant.”
A centerpiece of the HVACR courses is a new interactive cart that features HVACR components designed to give the students hands-on skills, purchased with the assistance of a $1 million Del E. Webb grant that was also used to upgrade the CTM lab space at the Fourth Street campus.
Added Myers, “It makes the class a lot more interactive and that’s always better than learning from a book.”
During the HVACR course, students will:
- Develop hazard recognition and safety requirements regarding HVACR systems and refrigerants
- Become familiar with tools, equipment and measuring devices used in HVACR
- Troubleshoot residential and light-commercial HVACR systems
- Know how to replace defective electrical and mechanical components in HVACR systems
- Develop good working knowledge of HVACR system electrical controls
- Know and understand the refrigeration cycle and refrigerants used in HVACR systems
- Understand codes and terminology used in residential and light-commercial electrical, mechanical and building construction
- Develop an understanding of HVACR symbols, diagrams and building blueprints
- Develop and understanding of “heating and cooling loads” and their relationship to human comfort and environmental air quality
The course is part of an HVACR Level 1 Technician certification program at CCC. While in the program, students also can achieve the following nationally recognized certificates: OSHA 10 for Safety and Health Hazards on a construction site, the Environmental Protection Agency Section 608 of the Clean Air Act on refrigerants, and the International Residential Code 2018 Building Code Certificate in Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing from the International Code Council.
Myers also said the job prospects after completing the course and gaining the certifications are good, Myers said. The local construction scene, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, continues at a pace where demand for skilled workers exceeds the supply.
“In Flagstaff, we are seeing a drop in the workforce and an increase in both new construction and service repairs,” Myers said. “For a student with a huge amount of ambition and a good work ethic, the opportunities are endless.”
And, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for the next 10 years in the construction trades will continue to grow. Workers can expect average salaries, nationally, in the $44,600-$50,200 range.
The HVACR course, like many CTM courses, will be offered in the fall in a “hybrid” modality, which means there will be an online component combined with hands-on labs for skills building. Lab sizes have been decreased, and face coverings, gloves, social distancing and washing hands at handwashing stations, will be required.
For more information about the HVAC Level 1 Technician certification, visit https://www.coconino.edu/hvacr-level-1-cert#what-courses-will-i-need-to-take