HVAC Employment Opportunities
Learn a trade Without Using Your GI Bill
The Education Discovery Series identifies highly sought-after employment paths for military members, veterans, and their spouses in Idaho and the education to get you there.
In this session, we meet with Right Now Heating and Air Conditioning representatives to chat about heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) employment opportunities in Idaho and their unique training model. You could be learning a valuable trade and making money from day one.
“25 years ago, 75% of homes had HVAC, now we’re up to almost 90% of homes having HVAC. If you buy a home today, chances are, you will definitely have HVAC.”
Paid Training From Day One and Beyond
Whether you’ve transferred your Post-9/11 GI Bill to a dependent, exhausted your benefits, or want to save them for use in another area, you have other options to pursue a successful career with no out-of-pocket education costs.
In response to a training shortage on the basics of HVAC, owner Jeff Cox of Right Now Heating and Air Conditioning recognized the opportunity to build a non-traditional training path to fill the employment gap with eager, talented professionals, interested in getting into the industry.
What truly makes them stand out as a great option for transitioning military members is their full support of your follow-on education.
As an HVAC Apprentice, you’ll perform work supervised by an HVAC Journeyman or Contractor. Idaho regulations require HVAC Apprentices to be employed by a licensed HVAC contractor for four years and complete the required vocational training before being eligible to test as an HVAC Journeyman.
Right Now works in partnership with the College of Western Idaho (CWI) to support this training.
Your education is free, as long as you pass!
Through the HVAC Apprenticeship Program at CWI, you can attend online or in-person two nights a week. This 4-year apprenticeship program consists of 576 classroom hours combined with 8,000 on-the-job training (OJT) hours, which prepares you to take the test to become a licensed HVAC technician.
If employed at Right Now, they will pay for your education at CWI up front, while taking a small amount out of each paycheck during the semester. Once you complete each semester and pass, that money is given back - making your formal education free, as long as you pass!
Once you become a licensed HVAC technician in Idaho, it will carry over to multiple states.
“Be bold. Don’t cut yourself short. You have experiences that no one else has, and it’s an asset. Be proud of that!”
HVAC Employment Opportunities at Right Now Heating and Air Conditioning
As we have all experienced over the past few years with COVID-19, the job market can change in an instant. While skilled HVAC and trades employees have always been in demand, our nation is currently experiencing an unprecedented time where the demand is high and the available workforce is extremely low. In the last four years, there has been a 20% growth in the HVAC industry. This makes it the perfect time to enter a career field that is rapidly growing and virtually recession-proof.
If you are interested in making a career in HVAC, you don’t need prior experience to start. There is ample opportunity to advance quickly. Recruiters at Right Now are consistently looking for apprentice level:
Installation Technician: Assembles, installs and repairs heating and cooling systems in residential and commercial buildings. After installation is complete, you may also help the end users learn how to control the system and perform routine maintenance that will prolong the life of the installation. For the installation side, you are hired and sent out as an apprentice under the supervision of a licensed Journeyman with up-to 1-year to make the decision if this path is right for you. If choosing this route, you’ll then apply for the official apprenticeship with the state and attend the HVAC Apprenticeship Program with CWI to earn your journeyman status.
Service Technician: Diagnoses, maintains, and repairs air conditioners and other indoor air quality systems. An HVAC Service Technician also performs emergency repairs and warranty services. Service Technicians receive 4-weeks of one-on-one, up-front training in both classroom and hands-on environments, then move to on-the-job training (OJT).
Find out if A HVAC CAREER is Right for you
College isn’t always the best choice for everyone and it’s not uncommon for us to hear from our members that they don’t want to be tied to a desk or a traditional office job. Ask yourself: Do you like working with your hands? Do you find it satisfying to solve complex problems? Are you good at managing your time and getting tasks finished on schedule? Do you care about the impact your work has on a client/customer? If that sounds like you, a career in HVAC could be exactly what you’re looking for.
“College isn’t for everyone. Offices aren’t for everyone. That’s what’s so fun about HVAC; you’re working in the elements... it’s a physical, hands-on experience, and a lot of people love that - they just don’t know it until they experience it.”
HVAC training is at least 85% hands-on, and in some positions, you could be working in the field right from the start. We encourage you to reach out to HVAC recruiters, like Chris at Right Now, to see if you can get a tour of their facility or shadow a technician to find out what the working experience is like.
A May 2022 report shows that up to 13% of recent college graduates have worked in minimum or low (less than $25k annually) wage job in the last 5 years, and many carry significant student debt. In about half the time that it takes to complete a college degree, you could be in the HVAC career field earning more than many college graduates - without any student debt.
At Right Now, you earn a salary while attending their academy and being trained for the job. As an employee, pay could start with a $45k annually salary with the potential to grow into $150k+ in a short amount of time.
Advice for Military Community Members Seeking HVAC Employment
Whether you’re transitioning out of service, a military spouse looking for a transportable career, or a veteran contemplating a change of direction, we understand that it can be an intimidating process to establish yourself in a new career. It doesn’t have to be that way. The message from the experts is clear: This is a rapidly growing, sustainable, in-demand career field with endless opportunities.
HVAC is a career you can have for the rest of your life, and is needed world-wide. You don’t have to stay in one single career path; you have the opportunity to start out in installing and move into service, or even leadership and management roles.
“It’s a rewarding career... It’s worldwide. You can go anywhere and find a job. Your certifications are going to be good wherever you go... I go home happy every night.”
Get Connected
If you’re a military member, veteran, or spouse considering HVAC as a career path, contact us to learn more about your options in Idaho.