Should I go to HVAC School or Should I get Hired as an HVAC Apprentice?
People entering the trades question whether they should start their journey out by going
to an HVAC trade school or by trying to get hired on with a company as an apprentice.
It doesn’t matter where you are in the world.
The answer to that will differ based on the company you’re trying to get on with, and
what YOU want as a future employee.
I think after watching this video you’ll have the confidence to start your way into
the trades by figuring out this question: INTRO
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Please leave your comments down below and tell us if you went to school or not.
If you could, tell us how that went for you so those who are watching this video can learn
from your experiences.
Now, my intention for this video is not to suggest whether you should or should not go
to trade or vocational school to start learning your trade.
There are a lot of my viewers who are watching this video in a classroom right now.
And really, there’s nothing preventing you from doing both.
You can never have to much training and education.
In fact, my company offers continuous training on a weekly basis.
New information, best practices, and advanced technology is constantly updating in this
field.
But if you are watching this video, you’ve decided that working in an office setting
is not for you.
You’ve decided you want to work in a different setting.
One that changes on a daily basis.
An hvac technician that learns installation and service is really diversified and becomes
proficient at more than just hvac skills, but plumbing, gas, electrical, construction,
framing, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, roofing, structural engineering, etc.
Where are you going to learn all of this?
Let me tell you my story real quick.
I was mechanic in the air force after graduating high school, but I don’t think that really
played much of part in my first company hiring me, other than I was manageable.
I went to a job fair they had and listened to their job descriptions and everything they
had to say.
I deciphered that they really needed install helpers, so that’s what I told them I wanted
to do.
The next day they called me for an interview.
I went in with a polo shirt, jeans and some clean black boots, and breezed right through
an interview that basically was held just to see how I spoke for myself.
It was more of a conversation to determine what kind of personality I had.
And, they hired me with no HVAC knowledge at all!
I started learning how to install hvac equipment, run gas pipes, line sets, handle high and
low voltage, frame out a new return can, and how to run ductwork properly - all while getting
paid, and learning some valuable fundamentals for later on in my career as a service technician.
I got some good overtime hours, and pretty much doubled my starting pay within a year.
But is it that easy for everyone?
It can be.
Going the Apprentice Route – Most local companies in your area provide
either residential or commercial hvac services.
Some companies do both.
It really seems like companies who value their employees, have no problem training them,
or paying for them to go to training after they are hired.
The benefit to you as a person looking to work somewhere is, these companies get someone
trained up the way they need them to be.
It’s also more efficient for you because it saves you a lot of money and you get trained
for the job you’ll be performing.
So, you get your training in the classroom either at the shop you work at, or at a school
they send you to.
I found most hvac company owners I speak with would rather take on a new employee who doesn’t
have any experience, but has a great personality, than take on a skilled technician who has
no class, can’t hold a conversation, or has no teamwork mentality.
The reason is because they can be trained the way that company wants them to be trained.
Bigger companies typically hire more techs per year than smaller companies.
So, if you’re looking to get on with a company, I tell people to start with the bigger companies
around town.
Also, February to April, (early spring) is the best time to try because companies are
looking to ramp up their staff to get ready for the busy summer season.
And that’s a great way to get on to prove yourself to the company that hires you.
But I’ve heard that some of those big companies will also lay folks off when it slows back
down after the summer.
And that really sadden me.
It’s gotta be frustrating for those techs.
But I think everyone makes their own way where they work.
My company and the company I worked at before don’t practice laying people off.
Now, some techs might lose some hours because their employer is slow and didn’t have the
work for them, but either way when it did slow down (like every hvac business does during
the off season) my employer kept me busy because I was out there proving myself worthy of being
on the clock every day.
Those first couple years I was an installer, so working hard, staying busy, and getting
the job done in a timely manner was what kept me busy all year.
That’s what employers like to see.
Now let’s get into the facts about trade school –
There’s no such thing as too much education.
Look at the people who check out channels like mine.
It’s because they are seeking more input about the HVAC field.
An apprenticeship you’ve been given can be shortened significantly with a degree you
earn at a trade school.
Completing an organized class dedicated to the HVAC field is a huge help.
The teachers of those classes are typically seasoned veterans who have been out there
and done that for years.
Getting the opportunity to learn from these experts is a great opportunity for you to
learn and pick up some really good knowledge.
Taking classes after you’ve been hired on, deepens your understanding of the hvac industry
even more.
And going to a trade school puts you in a setting unlike a university because you’re
not sitting in a big lecture hall.
Typically, these training centers have air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, ductwork,
and other hvac equipment already set up, so you get hands-on-training while going to class.
It won’t be the same intensity as learning it out in the field, but it’s a great start.
A lot of trade schools have connections with hvac companies in your area too.
So, it’s nice to have that in your back pocket as you approach graduation.
That’s the point of it all anyways, to have a job when you get out of school.
At a trade school, you get your degree faster than going to a university which will likely
make you take classes that may not even have much to do with the HVAC field.
A trade school can get you in and out in about 6 months, which means you have a good start
to finding your first hvac job.
Once you do have your diploma, its time to go out and face the music.
Which is what you could have done rather than going to a school anyways.
I’m only saying that because the company that gave me chance, literally taught me everything
I knew before going out on my own as an HVAC contractor.
But if you choose the route of getting hired on as an apprentice somewhere or if you graduate
school, you have to go out and find those companies.
You have to take the step to go face to face with the companies you want to work for.
Whether you choose to face them with a diploma in your hand or not is up to you.
But there are definitely HVAC companies who will hire you right now, with no experience.
It just depends on where they are in their demand for technicians at the time you’re
trying to get on with them.
If they’re not hiring, they’re not hiring and that has nothing to with you having a
diploma in your hand or wanting to earn your way on with an apprenticeship.
I have had to turn down good people just because I didn’t have room on my team at the time.
Find some companies in your area that have a good reputation.
You can find them by looking at their reviews online.
Try these companies first, because they are doing something right.
They obviously take pride in their company’s practices, so they very likely care about
their employees.
I wanted a real job.
Being an HVAC technician has been the avenue which has gotten me to where I am today.
A husband, father, homeowner, and someone who can afford to go out and do the things
I want to do with my free time.
I’m able to save money for my retirement and take care of my medical needs with the
insurance I’ve been provided.
It’s a long way from the previous jobs I had which really didn’t offer these extras
that a real job provides.
Hopefully this has helped you on your way to deciding whether to go to a trade school
or to try and go straight for an apprenticeship with your local company.
Please leave some comments down below if you went to school or not.
And tell us how that went for you so those who are watching this video can learn from
your experiences.
If this is your first time watching this channel please click subscribe down here on the bottom
right, and if you click the little bell next to it, you’ll be notified of all our videos
as they come out.