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Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic What The Career Involves:Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics install or assemble the components of refrigeration and air conditioning systems, assembling or connecting the required refrigerant pipes. Overhauling and repairing these systems is a major part of the work; and members of this trade may also test and adjust the systems and teach people how to use them. Apprenticeship Training:This is a compulsory trade, meaning a certificate of qualification, gained through apprenticeship and/or examination, is mandatory. Inter-provincial and bilingual examinations and certification are available. The apprenticeship involves five periods of 1,800 hours of training in each (about four and a half years in all). This includes three eight-week sessions at either the Industry’s own State of the Art Joint Training & Apprenticeship centre (Toronto area) or at a college of applied arts and technology. These requirements can be shortened if the applicant has experience in the trade or related education. During the five training periods, the apprentice received 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 per cent of the employer’s average journeyman’s wage rate. Training includes trade-related math, blueprint reading; safety; trade tools and test instruments; elements of refrigeration; piping in refrigeration systems; refrigerants and oils; compression cycle; compressors; condensers and receivers; evaporators; metering devices; evacuation; accessories; electrical systems; controls and control circuitry; cooling load calculations; installations and start-up; service problems; oxyacetylene welding; air conditioning; psychometrics; air conditioning equipment; and air-handling and distribution equipment. ORAC’s Commitment To Education The refrigeration and air conditioning industry is facing a period of accelerating technological change. The use of new technologies, especially microprocessors, along with new chemicals, in response to environmental and safety concerns, has created a critical need for upgrading the skills and knowledge of workers. The Joint Training and Apprenticeship Committee (JTAC) was formed as a co-operative effort of the Refrigeration Workers Local 787 and the Ontario Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (ORAC). The mandate of this Committee is to address the training and development issues facing the industry and prepare it’s more than 2,400 unionized members and employers in Ontario to face the challenges of the new millennium. The mission of the JTAC is to facilitate the development and delivery of Apprenticeship and Upgrading of training programs that will provide opportunities for industry members to keep their skills and knowledge in line with the current and anticipated future demands of the industry. The general objective is to ensure that the industry has the right people, with the right skills and knowledge, in the right places, at the right time. State-Of-The-Art Training Centre Training and Education is a key responsibility to the ongoing development and maintenance of a healthy and competitive Unionized Industry. One that requires constant upgrading to ensure new technology transfer for its highly skilled workforce, which in turn, provides efficient and quality workmanship for customers and ORAC Members. ORAC plays an equal and active role in the management and guidance of its State of the Art Training Centre. Distance Training by correspondence and computer is an ever evolving and important element of this Program. For more detailed information about the training centre, and course details please contact: By Mail: Training Coordinator By Phone: Phone: (905) 790-9662 By E-Mail: By Web Site:
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