AUSTIN (KXAN) — A handful of people graduated from a job training program meant to help people experiencing homelessness gain a certification in a high-demand job field: heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC).
On Wednesday, five students celebrated completing the 20-week program which trained them in the skills needed to secure a job in heating and air conditioning maintenance.
Urban Alchemy, which operates the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH), is partnering with Austin Community College to make the program possible.
“Individuals that start in this as an HVAC tech assistant, they may make somewhere between $15 and $20 and even $25 an hour. So it’s a really good wage,” said ACC Continuing Education’s Dean Don Tracy.
Timothy Mackey was one of the graduates in the program.
“I have a lot of pride in myself. I have a lot of people that had a lot of doubts in me, but I had, I found my own support team,” Mackey said. “I feel very good about it. I don’t have the words for it, but it’s amazing.”
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ACC said students learn the basics around electrical and construction techniques, as well as the HVAC systems themselves. (Photo: KXAN) -
ACC said students learn the basics around electrical and construction techniques, as well as the HVAC systems themselves. (Photo: KXAN) -
ACC said students learn the basics around electrical and construction techniques, as well as the HVAC systems themselves. (Photo: KXAN) -
ACC said students learn the basics around electrical and construction techniques, as well as the HVAC systems themselves. (Photo: KXAN)
A growing position
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 9% growth for HVAC mechanics and installers between 2023 to 2033.
The agency said this growth is much faster than the average for all occupations. The bureau projected about 42,500 openings for mechanics and installers in heating, air conditioning and refrigeration each year, over the decade.
“Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said on its website.