News
April 2, 2019HVAC/R Students Heat Up Their Future at Career Fair
More than a dozen Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School adult and high school students looking to heat up their futures met with several area heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R) companies on March 27 during an HVAC/R job fair on the Career and Technical School’s Albany campus.
Armed with resumes and portfolios, students one-by-one met with employers ranging from Appolo Heating to W.K. Clough & Son, Inc.
“I am looking forward to the interview. I am ready and I hope I can find something that I can start right after school,” said Anthony Nertney, a senior from Mohonasen.
“I’d like to find some part-time work now and eventually have it go full-time,” added Jake Palmer, a senior from Voorheesville. “I’d like to start off as a service tech, but I will really take anything in the industry.”
Even juniors took part in the interview process and are hopeful of finding employment.
“I would like to get a job for the summer. It would be fun and it would be great on resume to have a part-time job in the industry while I am still in school,” said Louis Loppa, who attends BOCES from Voorheesville.
“This was a real good experience,” said student Maneshwar Persaud, a junior from Schenectady. “It has opened my eyes to all of the opportunities available.”
Teacher Frank Ando said virtually all of the students who took part in the job fair will be offered either full-time or summer employment, because the students are well prepared for both interviewing and their chosen career paths.
Besides their daily lessons in heating and cooling, HVAC/R students also learn soft skills such as how to produce an attention-getting resume and how to communicate effectively with potential employers and colleagues. Mock interviews and resume review sessions are conducted by faculty and staff in preparation for student graduation and career fairs.
“The industry is desperate to hire people with the skills necessary for the careers. The employers can’t find the help they need,” teacher Frank Ando said.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment of HVAC/R technicians will grow 15 percent faster than the average for all occupations by 2026.
The job outlook is particularly strong for students “familiar with computers and electronics and those with good troubleshooting skills…as employers continue to have difficulty finding qualified technicians to work on complex new systems,” federal labor officials have reported.
The HVAC/R program at the Albany campus of the Capital Region BOCES CTE gives students a solid career foundation in the HVAC/R industry. In a state-of-the art classroom, students learn about ventilation, piping, refrigerants and refrigeration, furnaces and boilers.
Businesses on hand said that the Capital Region BOCES’ program is a trusted source of employees.
“Over the years, we have hired at least six employees that graduated from this program and we are very satisfied,” said Dave Knox, service manager for Colonie Mechanical Contractors.
Dustin Cuoco, service manager for Mohawk Heating and Cooling said “Our top three techs are Capital Region BOCES and Hudson Valley Community College grads.”
Companies on hand to recruit Capital Region BOCES students included:
- Adams Heating & Cooling, Inc.,
- Appolo Heating Inc.
- Colonie Mechanical Contractors
- Crisafulli Bros. Plumbing & Heating Contractors, Inc.
- Mohawk Heating Co. Inc.
- Northeast Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Co. Inc.
- Northeast Region Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning
- Suburban Propane
- W.K. Clough & Son, Inc.
