The HVACR industry has been steadily growing for a few years now. And why shouldn’t it be? HVACR systems, like air conditioners, heat pumps, ventilation systems, and refrigerators, are widely sought after because they make people’s lives immensely comfortable. And of course, people who own these systems are also in need of repairmen or other HVACR professionals to help them with their problems. Long story short, there is a strong demand for HVACR products and services. For that reason, the industry is incredibly lucrative.
And since the HVACR industry has proven to be a lucrative field, there are people out there who aspire to work in this industry. However, the field of HVACR is undoubtedly complex, and so, before anyone becomes an HVACR professional, they must first undergo some HVACR education and training. That way, they will know everything there is to know about the HVACR industry, and they will also be qualified to actually serve their customers.
Luckily for you, there are actually a lot of institutions out there that hand out courses in HVACR. In fact, Canada alone has a number of these colleges and universities. Basically, if you’re an aspiring HVACR professional who resides in Canada, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding the right college or university for you.
To help you get started with your search, here are some educational institutions in Canada that offer HVACR courses. You can start your search by looking through these institutions first.
Top Colleges/Universities with HVACR Programs in Canada
Fanshawe College
Website: https://www.fanshawec.ca/international
Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology, commonly shortened to Fanshawe College, is a public college in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Fanshawe College is one of the largest colleges in Canada, and so, it has campuses in London, Simcoe, St. Thomas, and Woodstock with additional locations in Southwestern Ontario. As of right now, Fanshawe has approximately 43,000 students and provides over 200 higher education programs.
For HVACR, Fanshawe offers a Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician. In this program, a student will learn a lot of skills, including how to view a building as a system, how to design, test, install, and service mechanical, heating, and cooling equipment. Additionally, students will also explore hands-on lab work and theory, and once they graduate, they will be eligible to take the Gas Technician II and Gas Technician III certificate exams, thus putting them in a great position for employment.
Centennial College
Website: https://www.centennialcollege.ca/
Centennial College of Applied Arts and Technology is a diploma and degree-granting college located in Toronto, Ontario. It is the oldest publicly funded college in Ontario, and its campuses are primarily situated on the east side of the city, particularly in Scarborough. Additionally, in 2016, Centennial was ranked as one of Canada’s Top 10 Research Colleges for the first in its history.
A program designed specifically for aspiring HVACR professionals, Centennial College’s Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician program helps students prepare for a career in the HVACR field for two years. In this program, students acquire a broad knowledge of the design, installation, and service techniques of heating and air conditioning systems for commercial and residential settings. As such, through hands-on activities, students will learn to maintain, size, and select equipment for air conditioning and refrigeration applications.
To be more specific, Centennial’s program tackles topics like the development of refrigerants, selection of equipment to meet the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) standards, the efficiency standards for heating equipment, and installation and service techniques. For this reason, once they graduate, students can be employed in numerous areas, such as heating technicians, affiliated trade apprenticeships in plumbing, pipe-fitting, electrical, sheet metal, or refrigeration, sales and service, design, technical support, and maintenance and installation in residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial settings.
Humber College
Website: https://humber.ca/
The Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a publicly funded college in Toronto, Ontario. It has three main campuses, namely Humber North campus, Lakeshore campus, and Humber Orangeville campus. Additionally, Humber’s range of credentials includes certificates, diplomas, advanced diplomas, degrees, and Ontario graduate certificates — more than 200 in all.
Humber actually offers two programs for aspiring HVACR professionals. These programs are Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician and Advanced Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technology.
The first program prepares students for a career as a technician capable of designing, installing, and servicing many different types of energy systems. In this program, they will become familiar with the installation and service techniques of heating and air conditioning systems in residential and small commercial buildings. Additionally, they will also learn to size, select, and maintain equipment for building comfort according to various industry standards.
Meanwhile, the advanced diploma provides students with comprehensive knowledge of energy systems used for commercial and industrial complexes. In this program, students will learn to apply engineering principles and conventions to achieve optimal energy efficiency through a process of evaluation, monitoring, load evaluation through software modeling, direct digital control (DDC), assessment, and necessary corrective action.
When students take at least one of these two HVACR programs, their potential employers can be HVACR manufacturers, consulting engineers, architects, process industries, wholesalers, distributors, mechanical contractors, building owners, and more.
Georgian College
Website: https://www.georgiancollege.ca/
Georgian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Ontario, Canada. It has 13,000 full-time students, including 3,600 international students from 85 countries, across seven campuses. This institution offers academic upgrading, apprenticeship training, certificate, diploma, graduate certificate, college degree, and university programs (including combined degree-diplomas).
Georgian College offers a Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician (Co-Op) for aspiring HVACR professionals. In this program, students gain the required skills to install, service, and maintain the environmental systems for residential buildings, including working with a variety of gas appliances, as well as an introduction to refrigeration and air conditioning. Additionally, students examine energy-efficient and environmentally friendly approaches, as well as read, utilize, and produce Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning (HRAC) drawings using industry-standard software. Long story short, students gain the required skills to obtain the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) Gas Technician 2 exams in order to become a licensed gas technician.
Fleming College
Website: https://flemingcollege.ca/
Sir Sandford Fleming College, or simply known as Fleming College, is an Ontario college of applied arts and technology located at Peterborough, Ontario. As of right now, the college has an enrollment of more than 6,200 full-time and 10,000 part-time students.
Fleming College offers a Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning, and this program introduces students to the field of heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning with an emphasis on renewable, sustainable, and alternative energy-efficient solutions for the indoor environment industry. In particular, the program provides students with theoretical and practical skills to install, service, maintain, and update heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning systems, as well as address the changing employment and environmental needs of the industry.
Once they finish this program, graduates may obtain employment as heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning technicians or through affiliated trade apprenticeships in plumbing, pipe-fitting, electrical, sheet metal, or refrigeration.
Algonquin College
Website: https://www.algonquincollege.com/
Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college located in Ottawa, Ontario. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario, Western Quebec, and Upstate New York. Currently, the college has three campuses: a primary campus in Ottawa and secondary campuses in Perth and Pembroke. Additionally, Algonquin College offers bachelor’s degrees, diplomas, and college certificates in a range of disciplines and specialties.
Ranked among the Top 50 Research Colleges in Canada, Algonquin College offers a College Diploma in Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician for aspiring HVAC professionals. This college diploma is a two-year program, and it is delivered in a compressed format over 42 weeks. This program starts with electrical and heating essentials, and all courses have a strong hands-on component. Additionally, to better prepare students for a career in the industry, the subjects are enriched with courses in communications, mathematics, related sciences, and computer applications.
Algonquin College’s program for HVAC is approved by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA). This means that students have the opportunity to prepare for the TSSA exams and become licensed as a gas technician and oil burner technician.
Selkirk College
Website: http://selkirk.ca/
Selkirk College is a community college in British Columbia. Founded in 1966, it was the first regional community college in the region, and as of right now, it offers over 60 programs. Throughout the years, Selkirk has grown into one of the largest organizations in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions of southeastern British Columbia. Each year, the college is actually responsible for over $75 million in economic activity, employing over 550 full and part-time staff and providing post-secondary learning experiences for over 2,400 full-time equivalent students.
For HVAC, Selkirk offers a Refrigeration Plant Operator certificate. This program is a comprehensive ten-unit course that is approved by the BC Safety Authority, and it is taught entirely through distance education and online learning. Additionally, this program tackles technical processes in buildings and industrial plants, as well as compressor and refrigeration system maintenance procedures.
This course is one of the requirements needed to challenge the refrigeration operator’s certificate of qualifications.
St. Clair College
Website: http://www.stclaircollege.ca/
Founded in 1966, St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology is a college in the Southwestern Ontario counties of Essex and Chatham-Kent. Its main administration and largest campus sites are in Windsor, with additional campuses in Chatham and Wallaceburg. In 2014, St. Clair College was ranked as one of the top colleges to go to in Ontario.
The Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Technician program that is offered by St. Clair College prepares students for entry-level positions in electrical, refrigeration, sheet metal, or heating and air conditioning industries. To be more specific, the program curriculum follows the prescribed TSSA Gas Technician 3 and Gas Technician 2 syllabus, providing an opportunity to become a licensed gas technician. In addition to finding work in heating, air conditioning, sheet metal, electrical, and refrigeration contracting firms, graduates of this program can also find other opportunities in wholesale, distribution, and parts and equipment manufacturing companies.
Cambrian College
Website: https://cambriancollege.ca/
Established in 1967 and funded by the province of Ontario, Cambrian College is a college of applied arts and technology in Greater Sudbury. The college has campuses in Sudbury, Espanola, and Little Current. Additionally, Cambrian works in partnership with school boards, training institutes, universities, and other institutions — locally, nationally, and internationally — in order to provide additional educational opportunities and to share expertise and resources.
For HVAC, Cambrian offers a diploma program in Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Technician. This program provides students with a solid understanding of oil-fired and gas systems, as well as heating and refrigeration. As a result, they will learn the air conditioning and refrigeration principles that relate to the layout, installation, and service of residential and light commercial heating and cooling applications.
This program is TSSA-endorsed, and so, students will be prepared for the Gas Technician 2 and Oil Burner Technician 2 certification exams that are administered by TSSA.
Conestoga College
Website: http://www.conestogac.on.ca/
Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is a public college in Kitchener, Ontario. As of right now, the college has enrolled 11,000 full-time students, 30,000 part-time students, and 3,300 apprenticeship students.
For HVAC, Conestoga offers a certificate program in Construction Techniques (HVAC, Welding, Plumbing, and Electrical). This unique program introduces students to a variety of skills in the construction field with each trade-specific component running seven weeks in duration. Students study and practice in plumbing, welding, HVAC, and electrical trades. Additionally, they also receive safety training (general and specific) and skills development in a number of construction areas. There is also an opportunity through this program to strengthen math and communication skills to be considered for entry into other post-secondary, trade-related programs.
Takeaway
The HVACR industry is steadily booming right now, which is understandable since there is quite a demand in HVACR products and services. And because of the fact that the industry has proven to be lucrative, there are so many people who aspire to have a career in this field. However, before anyone gets to be an HVACR professional, they must first undergo compulsory HVACR education and training. That way, they will learn everything they need to know in order to get a license as an HVACR professional.
Fortunately, there are actually a lot of educational institutions right now that offer programs in the HVACR field. Canada alone houses quite a number of them. That is why if you’re an aspiring HVACR professional living in Canada, you shouldn’t have a hard time finding a college or university that can provide you with the necessary HVACR education.
The ten institutions mentioned above are only some of the more well-known ones in the country. There are definitely more out there. But if you’re just starting out your search for the right college or university to study HVACR, this list is a good place to start. After all, the institutions mentioned are already well-respected, so you know that you will definitely get a good education.
Sources:
- https://www.ontariocolleges.ca/en/programs/professions-and-trades/hrac-heating-refrigeration-air-conditioning
- https://www.hotcoursesabroad.com/study/training-degrees/canada/refrigeration-engineering-courses/loc/32/cgory/xh.43-4/sin/ct/programs.html
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