Top HVAC Apprenticeship Programs (2021-2022)

Committed to the betterment of the HVAC/R industry, this organization has been active since 1966. The demand for well-trained HVAC technicians in Florida is high, which is why the Air Conditioning Contractors Association of Central Florida offers an apprenticeship program. The ACCACF program is certified through the Florida Bureau of Apprenticeship and consists of three years of hands-on training.

To apply for this apprenticeship program, students must be at least 18 years old, have the physical capability for performing work, possess an active Florida Drivers License, and have the ability to write and read in English.

Each year consists of 162 class hours, covering topics such as matter and energy, tubing and piping, comfort and psychometrics, refrigeration applied to air-conditioning, indoor air quality, air distribution and balance, basic electricity and magnetism, electric meters, introduction to automatic controls, reading schematic diagrams, residential air-conditioning control systems, and troubleshooting basic controls, among others.

Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska offers apprenticeship programs in Electrical, Carpentry, HVAC, Laborer, Insulating, Plumbing, Pipe-Fitting, Sprinkler Fitting, and Sheet Metal. Students in this HVAC apprenticeship will be learning from an experienced craftsman and will start earning while learning.

To qualify, students will need a high school diploma or GED, be at least 17 years old, and have one year of high school algebra or equivalent with a "C" or higher.

This apprenticeship comprises 5 levels of bookwork in HVAC and 8,000 or on-the-job training hours. The program is recognized and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship Training Employment and Labor Services (ATELS). It is a registered program with the State of Alaska and is accredited through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Located in Sacramento, California, American River College offers an innovative apprenticeship program for many different career tracks, including HVAC technicians. The HVAC apprenticeship, which includes instruction in other electrical systems as well, ultimately results in an associate of arts degree if completed alongside general education requirements.

To be enrolled in this program, students must be registered Refrigeration Service Technician apprentices. They will delve into topics such as introduction to the refrigeration fitter apprenticeship, supermarket refrigeration, gas welding and brazing, air conditioning pneumatic and process controls, refrigeration and hydronic piping, and electrical and direct digital controls.

Through this program, students will be able to identify job site hazards, explain electrical principles that are necessary for startup and testing, conduct testing of fluid flow in piping systems, and learn how to maximize the energy efficiency of existing HVAC/R equipment.

Located in Arnold, Maryland, Anne Arundel Community College sponsors a four-year HVAC apprenticeship. In conjunction with Associated Builders and Contractors, apprentices complete 144 hours of classroom training at the college, in addition to 2000 hours of fieldwork throughout the program. Classroom hours are taught by certified and experienced instructors.

ABC Apprentices are registered with Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council (MATC), National Center for Construction, Education, and Research (NCCER), and their local community college.

To apply for this apprentice, students must be at least 18 years of age and submit a high school diploma or GED.

The Arizona Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee offers a five-year apprenticeship program to train sheet metal workers. Although the program is not specifically focused on HVAC technicians, learning HVAC installation and repair is an integral part of the apprenticeship. Apprentices earn college credit during the program through Gateway Community College in Phoenix.

This apprenticeship consists of hands-on training and college-accredited classes through NCCRS (National College Credit Recommendation Service). Students are prepared to take up jobs in the sheet metal industry, including installation and fabrication of architectural sheet metal, ducts for heating and air conditioning systems, and kitchen equipment in residential and commercial buildings.

To complete this program, apprentices must have a minimum of 8,000 hours of on-the-job training and a minimum of 720 hours of college-accredited related training in a classroom setting.

CalApprenticeship offers a variety of apprenticeships throughout the state of California, including an HVAC apprenticeship program. Air conditioning/refrigeration mechanic apprentices in this program work under refrigeration contractors.

Applicants must be residents of California and have a high school diploma or GED, but do not need any prior HVAC training to qualify. They should be at least 18 years of age and must pass an aptitude exam as well as an oral interview. They should also be able to read and write in English and possess a valid California Driver's License.

For reaching journeyman status, apprentices are required to work a total of 8000 hours. They must also attend instruction classes for 216 hours each year.

With seven locations throughout Oregon, including Salem and McMinnville, Chemeketa Community College is a great place for Oregon locals to seek out an HVAC apprenticeship. Apprentices will take home a paycheck while earning credits that apply to an associate of applied science HVAC degree or even a bachelor's degree in operations management should they choose to pursue further education.

Courses in this registered apprenticeship program are provided under the guidance of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Required qualifications for this apprenticeship include a high school diploma or GED, at least 18 years of age, a minimum of one year of high school algebra, and a high school math equivalent.

This program involves 8,000 hours of on-the-job training combining electrical and sheet metal work involving – wiring, installation, service, and repair of environmental control systems, repair and brazing, refrigeration installation, and fabrication and installation of ductwork.

Delaware County Technical High School offers an HVAC apprenticeship program that is particularly well-suited to recent high school students who want to pursue an HVAC career. Apprentices complete the first year of their apprenticeship at the school, then after the successful completion of year one, will be offered employment with a local contractor to finish the apprenticeship.

Students in the program can earn industry certifications such as OSHA-10, EPA-608, National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Core, and National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER)-HVAC Levels 1-3.

Students will learn about system design, installation, repair & maintenance of commercial, industrial, and residential HVAC systems. The courses are taught in compliance with the International Code Council (ICC) Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas Code, and the Residential Construction Academy (RCA) industry standards.

Students delve into topics such as blueprint reading, low voltage wiring, basic HVAC systems, basic plumbing skills, and the basic concepts of commercial and residential work.

One of the few independent companies on this list, Johnson Controls offers HVAC apprenticeships at their offices around the country, when the need arises. To qualify for the apprenticeship, applicants need only a high school diploma (or GED) and a desire to learn the HVAC trade, although some familiarity with HVAC equipment is highly desirable.

One of the apprenticeships the company recently offered is the HVAC Truck Base Mechanic Apprentice (Union). This apprenticeship will help applicants increase their HVAC knowledge and learn firsthand from some of the top HVAC teams. To qualify, the applicant must have at least three years of HVAC systems service experience.

Apprentices will be required to know about maintaining, repairing, and replacing services on commercial cooling and heating systems, maintaining HVAC systems, commercial or industry experience, a high school diploma or its equivalent, and a 30-Hour OSHA Certification required upon hire.

JJATC Air Conditioning and Refrigeration training program is offered in several locations including San Diego, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, Colton, Pomona, Ventura, Buellton, and San Luis Obispo. It provides members and students with the experience and knowledge for becoming successful leaders.

This HVAC/R apprentice training includes topics such as electrical theory, mechanical systems, brazing and soldering, electrical controls, customer relations, installation, thermodynamics, compressors, market applications, HVAC systems, heat loads, and air distribution, hydronics, and advanced troubleshooting, among others.

Applicants in this apprenticeship program are selected based on character, physical fitness, and education. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Education requirements include a high school diploma or GED and official transcripts. Also, the applicant must be at least 18 years of age.

Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon offers its students the ability to connect easily to local apprenticeship opportunities. The HVAC apprenticeship program at LCC is integrated with the school's curriculum so that students can earn credits towards an Associate of Applied Science degree while working in the field as an apprentice.

To qualify for an apprenticeship, students must have a high school diploma or GED, a minimum of a 'C' grade in high school algebra (or equivalent Math 60/65, or Math 70), and the applicant must be at least 18 years old.

The HVAC technicians/installers apprenticeship program combines both classroom and on-the-job experience-related training instruction where apprentices must complete a minimum of 144 related classroom hours per year and 8,000 on-the-job training hours.

The Joint Apprentice Training Committee at the Local 392 Training Center in Cincinnati, Ohio offers a state-approved HVAC apprenticeship program, as well as programs for plumbers and pipefitters. The apprenticeship lasts five years, at the end of which apprentices are eligible to work and earn journeyman's wages.

An applicant for this apprenticeship must be at least 18 years of age and submit the following:

The Steamfitters Local 420 Union Association, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers a mechanical equipment apprenticeship training program that includes instruction in HVAC skills. The trade also includes repairing, overhauling, and replacement of refrigeration condensers, compressors, metering devices, cooling towers, and evaporators.

Prior experience in HVAC or mechanics is not required to apply to the program. Upon completion of the five-year apprenticeship, technicians will be members of the local union and able to take up union jobs.

Applicants must be at least 18 years of age, possess a high school diploma or GED equivalent, and have a valid state-issued driver's license. Applicants should also be highly interested in performing physical work that the trade entails, as well as prepare to work in remote areas, sometimes alone.

In Southeastern Colorado, plumbers, pipefitters, and service journeymen including HVAC technicians are represented by Local Union #58. This union offers apprenticeship training for all the occupations they represent. The HVAC apprenticeship lasts five years and consists of fieldwork and class instruction two nights per week for the five-year term. The JATC (Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee) facilitates this apprenticeship program.

Comprising of both classroom instruction and on-the-job training, the curriculum of this apprenticeship program includes isometric drawing, trade-related math, plan reading, OSHA classes, welding and cutting, soldering and brazing, black flow prevention, medical gas installation, steam, air conditioning, and hydronics.

The minimum age for qualification is 18 years and applicants are required to submit a high school diploma or GED with scores along with a transcript of courses, birth certificate, records of previous work experience, a valid driver’s license, and social security card.

Local Union #25 in Rock Island, Illinois offers apprenticeship training for HVAC technicians. The program at Local #25 is intensive, consisting of at least 10,000 hours of on-the-job work and more than 1,250 hours of required classroom training, and is taught by certified journey people.

Union HVAC technicians can specialize in commercial or industrial instrumentation, commercial construction, commercial or industrial maintenance, energy management systems, digital control instrumentation, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and refrigeration.

Applicants for this apprenticeship must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. The actual supervision and selection of this apprenticeship program are done by a joint apprenticeship committee, consisting of experienced labor and management professionals.

This apprenticeship program is registered through the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, U.S. Department of Labor. After completing this program, students reach journeyperson status.

The Mechanical Trades Institute in Atlanta, Georgia offers an HVAC apprenticeship program, open to any student with at least two years of experience in commercial construction. Students without the requisite experience must first apply for the plumber and pipefitters apprenticeship. After two years, they will be eligible to apply for the HVAC program.

This apprenticeship training program consists of a five-year program with a minimum of 1200 classroom hours and 8,500 minimum on-the-job training hours. UA Local 72 has service technicians who can service any size or type of HVAC/R system. These technicians are extensively trained for not only repairing systems but also tackling failures and maintenance issues.

The Minneapolis Pipefitters Joint Apprentice Training Committee out of Local Union #539 has apprenticeship opportunities for aspiring HVAC service technicians as well as pipefitters. Apprentices earn credits towards an associate degree while completing the five-year program and earning a paycheck and union benefits.

This HVAC/R service technician job will require technicians to troubleshoot, diagnose, repair, install, service, and maintain HVAC/R systems and equipment found in hospitals, commercial buildings, supermarkets, manufacturing, and industrial plants. They will also be required to climb, bend, stoop, crawl, kneel, lift and work in extreme temperature ranges.

Technicians for this apprenticeship must have a good understanding of science, electricity, refrigeration, temperature control, and heat transfer. Applicants must complete a two-year day school course in residential and commercial HVAC/R service before applying for the service apprenticeship program.

The apprenticeship program is 8,750 hours of on-the-job training and a minimum of 1080 hours of related classroom training in five years.