Officials from Hopkinsville Community College have announced the addition of a new air conditioning technology program.
Set to begin in August, students who enroll in the program will have the opportunity to earn five credentials. This includes four short-term certificates — building controls technician, environmental control systems servicer, environmental systems repair helper and refrigeration mechanic — that will culminate into an umbrella certificate as a domestic air conditioner and furnace installer. All of this comes to 35-to-36 credit hours of education.
Students will also have access to earn special certificates and licenses. To work with refrigerants, one must earn an EPA license. And opportunities will arise to earn an OSHA 10 Safety Card, while preparing for the journeyman’s test.
The program will be taught “cohort style,” in that students will begin class together in August and take classes with the same group of individuals until completion. Those classes will be held in-person from 9 AM until 4:30 PM Monday through Thursday on the Hopkinsville campus.
The program’s instructor is Dennis Alvey, who comes to HCC from California with extensive teaching, residential and commercial HVAC experience. Officials have noted that there is a “high demand” for HVAC workers in this area. And the field has experienced a growth of 7.9% during the last three years, and another 1.8% of growth is expected through 2026.
