Certificate in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Level 2)

Ajay Goundar put lots of effort into getting a job in air conditioning. Picture / Graeme Sedal

THE QUALIFICATION

What: Certificate in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (Level 2)
Where: Manukau Institute of Technology (MIT),
Department of Technology - Fabrication and Refrigeration Division
Phone: 0800 62 62 52 or 09 968 8000
Email: MIT
Web: www.manukau.ac.nz
Costs: $4572.00 plus other costs (2006)
Pay: Midway apprentice rate is $12-$15 an hour. Once qualified can earn $40,000 - $70,000 a year.

THE COURSE

Air-conditioning and refrigeration are indispensable in today's world, requiring skilled technicians and engineers to design, install, service and maintain the systems.

MIT's level three refrigeration and air conditioning certificate provides introductory training for this industry. Trainees spend three days a week in class and workshops. Another two days are spent on industry work experience which provides practical experience and contacts with future employers.

Organised through MIT tutors and the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Companies Association, trainees are sent to a range of workplaces over the year.

Many find jobs through their industry work experience, MIT accept 18 trainees each February. Applications are accepted until the course is full, but applicants are urged to enrol from October.

Applicants need to have completed three years secondary education with reasonable results in NCEA or School Certificate maths and science, or the equivalent. Adult trainees are also welcome and assessed on basis of maturity and other work experience. Trainees struggling with the theory are encouraged to do bridging study over the year.

The course can be done full time over 34 weeks (one academic year) or part time through distance learning and night school over 68 weeks (two academic years).

Trainees who enter an apprenticeship on completing the certificate are credited a year of training towards their trade qualification; National Certificate in Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (level 4).

Once qualified, many buy their own van and tools to work as sub contractors in fields such as building service and maintenance, fishing, food processing, shipping, wineries, domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

THE APPRENTICE

Ajay Goundar
Refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice
Carrier Air Conditioning NZ and Apprenticeship Training Trust (ATNZ)

When I was at school I saw someone working on an air conditioning unit and thought 'I would like to do that'. But when I left school I couldn't find an apprenticeship, so I turned to electronics. After three years I phoned MIT and asked if there was a course I could do without having an apprenticeship and they told me about the level two course.

On completing the course I still couldn't find an employer so I signed up with ATNZ and got an apprenticeship through them. (ATNZ employ the apprentices, then find an employer.) To join them I had to pass maths and mechanical reasoning tests.

I am 18 months into my apprenticeship with Carriers. We do a lot of maintenance, servicing and installation of commercial units. Through the course I already knew how refrigeration and air conditioning systems worked which meant I was immediately of some help with servicing and maintenance. Although I am only working on air conditioning systems here, the principles are the same as refrigeration, so I could swap.

My apprenticeship correspondence takes two to three hours a couple of nights a week. I also attend block courses through MIT which provide more in-depth knowledge, theory and practice. For example, in the last one we designed a coolroom.

THE EMPLOYER

David Boyens
Carrier Air Conditioning NZ, general manager

We didn't have any apprentices at the time we employed Ajay, although we used to employ around five apprentices a few years back.

Legislative and business changes had led us to using more contractors and apprenticeships dropped off.

There is now a big skill shortage problem in our industry because no one is training apprentices so we decided to try again through ATNZ. The vast majority of apprentices bail before qualifying because there is a conflict on either side so using ATNZ overcomes a lot of difficulties.

Advances in technology are such that good technicians need reasonable levels of education in practical maths and science and good problem solving skills.

Employers want dependability and recruit an apprentice in the hope that they will become a long term employee.

Ajay had previous electronic experience and by completing the level two training he showed real commitment.