Let’s face it. When the heat is off during the winter or air conditioning fails during the long, hot summer, you want a skilled, dedicated technician to fix the problem. And with weather extremes bearing down on Texas all year, the job market for HVAC techs is at an all-time high.
To meet the need to cool and warm buildings year-round, and to account for a rapidly accelerating construction industry in North Texas, Dallas College is expanding its HVAC program for skilled laborers who can outfit new buildings as well as new homes with climate-control systems. And to this end, Dallas College has developed relationships with workforce partners in construction to assure that HVAC students are “enrolling in a career.”
Cedar Valley’s HVAC program will be celebrated on Oct. 20 with a grand re-opening to highlight the school’s expansion into commercial training and to showcase its mobile training unit that will allow the campus to offer access to the community. The opening takes place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the H Building.
Stephen Preston is among the students training at Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus who hopes to answer the call. After enrolling in the school’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology program, he quickly realized he had the choice of working for himself or joining a company.
“My aunt works for Cedar Valley, and she encouraged me to find a job that means something — something that treats you like family — more than just an employee,” Preston said. “There is networking in HVAC. You talk to people, and you realize that HVAC offers something different every day.”
Preston said he marvels at the chance to choose a variety of specialties in HVAC. “You can be a salesperson, or you can own your own business or become a private contractor,” said Preston, who is currently learning installations. “I’ve learned so much that I’m thinking about engineering. I want to go ahead and get my four-year degree. I love troubleshooting, the checks and balances,” said Preston, who has an associate degree in science from El Centro Campus.
“I’ve always wanted more,” Preston said. “I love this program. It’s given me so much direction, and you have to be sure about what you’re doing. I consider myself a doctor of air conditioning units. Instead of fixing people, I fix air conditioners.”
His skills, he said, will work in any aspect of HVAC. He likes a career that ensures comfort, efficiency and healthy living. But he is also thinking long term about his life and career options and may pursue a degree in engineering.
Original source can be found here.
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