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Start a Cool Career with a Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Apprenticeship

Mar 4, in Hints & Tips

If you are mechanically and electronically inclined and like working with both your hands and your mind, then a career as a refrigeration and air conditioning professional might be right for you.  The refrigeration and air conditioning industries encompass a variety of services for both the public and private sectors such as design, installation, repair and maintenance of equipment.

Refrigeration and air conditioning are truly exciting fields with a great deal of career opportunities.  Typical assignments that you would learn during an air-conditioner apprenticeship or refrigeration apprenticeship Sydney offers includes:

  • Diagnosing problems with refrigeration equipment and repairing them
  • Maintaining refrigeration equipment
  • Repairing air conditioning systems
  • Addressing industrial, commercial and residential refrigeration systems
  • Diagnosing and repairing electrical controls and equipment

What Do Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Apprenticeships Involve?

An air-conditioning apprenticeship typically involves a four year term or learning and hands-on experience.  A refrigeration apprenticeship is the same length of time.  The goal of an apprenticeship is to prepare the apprentice for the field that they will be working in for years to come, with on the job technical training.

It will help if you are technically minded with a keen interest in learning about how things operate.  If you enjoy mechanics you should be good fit for these kinds of careers.  It will help if you are physically fit and if you have good skills with basic mathematics.  A eye for detail and mindset for quality is an absolute as well.

Air-Conditioning Apprentice or Refrigeration Apprentice Wages

At the time of writing this post, air conditioning and refrigeration apprenticeship wages are generally going to be a little less than $300 per week during the first year of the apprenticeship, and then up over $500 per week after the third year of your apprenticeship.  These are competitive wages in line with other apprenticeship wages in the industry. You may  also be eligible for financial assistance from the government.

Another major benefit of undertaking an air conditioner apprenticeship or refrigeration apprenticeship is that most apprentices have jobs lined up for them once they are ready to graduate.  The contacts that they make while training during their apprenticeship are very valuable and may be used for years down the road.  This is an intangible form of compensation as well, but one that has great rewards for many years to come.

Image by Pedro Moura Pinheiro

The Work of a Stonemason – The Traditional Apprentice
Stonemasonry has existed since the beginning of human civilisation and included the creation buildings, sculpture and structures from stone. Stone masonry apprenticeships teach you how to work with stone and perform the following tasks successfully:
•    Carry out levelling operations
•    Carry out measurements and calculations
•    Carry out excavation
•    Carry out concreting to simple forms
•    Read and interpret plans and specifications
•    Erect and dismantle restricted height scaffolding
•    Split stones manually
•    Shape solid stones
•    Dress stones manually
•    Prepare for stonemasonry construction courses
•    Finish stone
•    Lay stone among many other tasks.
Stone masonry apprenticeships are therefore very important because they help apprentices to apply their skills and knowledge to projects in new construction, maintenance and repair, additions or alterations as well as in renovations that have to be made.
Stone mason apprenticeships also train you in stonemasonry procedures and techniques in various types of domestic and commercial building, both modern and traditional industrial construction and design. Stone masonry apprenticeships will also include training in aspects of conservation restoration as well as heritage work.
Sound interesting to you? You should consider taking up one of the stone masonry apprenticeships NSW TAFEs offer as they will enable you to become a stonemason in either the monumental or the installation area of the industry.
If you successfully complete a course in stonemasonry, you will be able to articulate into any general construction course that contains comparable competency standards. For this reason, you should take your stone mason apprenticeships very seriously as they are a great way for you to advance your career.
Electives offered in stonemasonry courses may also enable you to learn how to set and anchor stone facades, use explosive power tools, construct bulkheads, operate elevated work platforms, assemble components, package manufactured products for transport, build stone veneer walls among other tasks.
If you are considering a career in the construction industry, you can start off as a stonemasonry apprentice as you are bound to gain many skills along the way.