Jan. 8, 2025
It’s Saturday night in January, a brisk 15 degrees, and your furnace suddenly conks out. Who are you going to call? Certainly not an overseas help desk! You want a qualified, local person at your house immediately, if not sooner. That’s just one reason why heating, ventilation and air conditioning/refrigeration (HVACR) specialists will always be in demand.
“You can’t call China or India to get your furnace or air conditioner fixed,” said Don Steeby, professor of HVACR at Grand Rapids Community College. “Good service technicians are highly valued and greatly in demand.”
But that’s just one of the many opportunities open to people with a degree in HVACR.
“I get calls every week from companies that need HVACR experts,” Steeby said. “Some of them might surprise you. For example, Founders Brewery needed 12 certified boiler operators to keep their operations running 24/7. Wholesalers like Johnstone Supply need people who can design entire HVAC systems. Pretty much any business or property manager needs some element of HVACR.”
GRCC has put together an excellent certificate program for students who want to get up and running quickly in this field. The required 13 classes can be completed in about eight months, or two full-time semesters. Most of the lecture-style courses are offered online, and the rest of the work is hands-on in the Main Campus lab. An HVACR certificate qualifies you for an entry level position.
“This field is very high tech,” Steeby said. “No one can know everything about everything. We teach the fundamentals so that you can grow to be an expert in your area of interest. The exciting thing is that you will always have something new to learn.”
Many students earn their HVACR certificate and go to work for a few years. Then they decide to get further education in the area that interests them, such as boilers or commercial refrigeration. That’s because the real money is in design.
“Many employers are so desperate for people that they will pay for your education if you sign an employment agreement,“ Steeby said. “Our HVACR associate degree transfers fully to Ferris, where students will learn to think like engineers and design systems as they earn a bachelor’s degree. That’s where the high-paying jobs can be found.”
Why is this career experiencing such high demand?
“It’s much the same story as with many other trades,” Steeby said. “Twenty years ago, parents were pushing their kids to get a four-year college degree. During the ensuing decades, people kept getting older and retiring. Now there’s a shortage of qualified, experienced people who can do HVACR work.”
At the end of the day, HVACR is a career field with unlimited potential, constant learning and no risk of being outsourced.
“Students are finding they can get a great job without spending money on a four-year degree,” Steeby said. “You can specialize in any area that interests you. And no matter what you choose, no matter how long you do it, you’ll run into things you’ve never seen before. It’s never tiresome and never boring.”
Learn more about HVACR and other programs in the Manufacturing and Applied Technology Academic Pathway at GRCC.
This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.