Grand Rapids Community College now offers HVACR Certificate Fast Track Program

Grand Rapids Community College has recently implemented a fast track path to HVACR careers, seeing the need for quick and qualified heating, ventilation, and air conditioning/refrigeration specialists in the state of Michigan.

In an article posted on the school’s website, Don Steeby, professor of HVACR at GRCC was quoted on the importance of this specialized profession, saying, “You can’t call China or India to get your furnace or air conditioner fixed. Good service technicians are highly valued and greatly in demand.”

However, students who go on to get a degree in HVACR will be able to do more than just be a residential service technician, as Steeby went on to elucidate: “I get calls every week from companies that need HVACR experts. 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.”

Grand Rapids Community College has compiled a list of 13 classes into a certificate program that will allow students to receive a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Technology Certificate in two full time semesters, or around eight months. Many of the classes are lecture style and offered online, with the remainder of them being hands-on classes held in the Main Campus lab. Students who complete the certificate program will be qualified for an entry level position in the industry.

Steeby went on to talk about the industry, saying, “This field is very high tech. 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.” 

Once students attain their certificate, they tend to work in the industry for a number of years before returning to school to earn further certificates in more specialized areas of the industry such as commercial refrigeration, boilers, or design in order to earn more money.

Steeby highlighted this pathway: “Many employers are so desperate for people that they will pay for your education if you sign an employment agreement. 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.”

He also explained why this career pathway is seeing such a high demand right now, saying, “It’s much the same story as with many other trades. 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.”

A benefit of HVACR is that it has no risk of being outsourced while offering numerous paths for advancement and specialization. 

“Students are finding they can get a great job without spending money on a four-year degree. 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,” said Steeby in closing.

More information about Grand Rapids Community College can be found at the school’s website.

More information about GRCC’s HVACR and similar Manufacturing and Applied Technology programs can be found on its webpage.