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Brandi Ferenc wears the HVAC industry on her sleeve.

By day, the 313A-certified refrigeration mechanic and gas fitter serves as a maintenance technician for Southlake Regional Health Centre in New Market, Ontario, Canada. Afterhours, she changes hats and scoots over to Georgian College, where she serves as a part-time instructor for the institution’s HVAC program.

And on weekends, she works as a mentor for Support Ontario Youth, helping apprentices from throughout the province navigate blue collar careers.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Where do you find the time or energy to do all of this?’ but I’m at the point where this is no longer work,” said Ferenc, on a Zoom call, during a scheduled break. “I really love what I do, and truly enjoy being able to contribute, especially at a time when there’s such a skilled trades labor shortage.”

Ferenc began her HVAC career as a gas fitter and mechanic with a major HVACR manufacturer in 2007. In 2014, she began teaching courses at Conestoga College. Two years later, she started at Georgian College. Due to a demanding on-call schedule, she took a break from teaching for a few years but went back to Georgian during the pandemic and hasn’t looked back.

As an HVAC instructor, you never know what you’re going to get — students come in all ages and experience levels, which can be challenging, said Ferenc.

“Sometimes, and I mean this in the best way possible, the HVAC trade gets the leftovers,” she said. “People will often turn to HVAC because they’re looking for a career change. Maybe they’ve dabbled in something else, and it’s just not working out. In Canada, certain trades do not require a high school diploma to start an apprenticeship, so the trades can be a desirable option for those who may be trying to find their way.”

In her experience, the most troublesome aspects of the industry to decipher are gas/refrigeration theory and electrical, which are staples of the profession.

“My dad, who is a master electrician, tells me I work on more live electrical than most electricians, just in a different way,” she said. “When we, as instructors, start to break down electrons, protons, and all of that good stuff, students’ eyes start to cross. That said, if you can excel at electrical troubleshooting, you'll most likely become an amazing technician.”

Fairfax County Public Schools

Robert Stringham is a seasoned HVAC instructor with 40 years of industry experience. His introduction to the industry occurred way back in grade school, at Edison High School, where he completed a four-year HVAC training program.

After multiple decades in the industry, specializing in computer room/data center applications, he accepted an instructor position in 2000. Over the years, he’s taught at numerous institutions, including Northern Virginia Community College and the University of the District of Columbia. He’s also served as an officer trainer for the SkillsUSA program in Virginia.

Today, his career has come full circle, as he currently serves as an HVACR instructor at the same school that initially nurtured his industry curiosity: Edison High School.

“When I was in school, our class size was quite intimate — around 10-12 students, at most,” he said. “The program was structured as a half-day commitment, consolidating three class periods into one extended session. In the early 2000s, there was a shift in the program's structure. At the start of each school year, there’s around 100 teenage students enrolled in the program."

Edison’s HVAC program brings together attendees from 14 high schools in the Greater Washington, D.C., area. The student body represents a very diverse mix of cultures.

“Our school system is represented by more than 140 languages, reflecting a rich tapestry of the cultures in our area,” said Stringham. “Our student demographic spans a broad socio-economic spectrum, including students benefiting from the free-and-reduced lunch system to those whose parents are congressmen, senators, foreign dignitaries, high-ranking military officers, and more. The presence of a substantial military community further enriches our student population.”

Grading the System

While Ferenc and Stringham are deeply devoted to the trade, they agree the industry’s existing educational model is flawed.

In Canada, many apprentices can’t get into trade school due to massive waiting lists.

“I teach or mentor several apprentices who have all their necessary hours but still can’t get into trade school,” said Ferenc. “As a result, many people are opting out of trade school. They simply don’t have the time to wait. Unfortunately, if you enter the trades without going to school, you’re likely just learning someone else’s bad habits.”

CLASSROOM CAMARADERIE: HVAC students (from left) April Harding, Amber Cascanette, Brandi Ferenc (instructor), and Katlain Bestwick-Gallagher pause for a picture. (Courtesy of Brandi Ferenc)

In lieu of trade school, Ferenc said some students opt to only learn the skills necessary to pass a licensing test, and that’s it.

“Once a student passes a test, what happens next?” she questioned. “After making the grade, some techs elect to market themselves as fully qualified technicians, which is questionable at best.

“The reality is, we attend trade school to learn best practices and discover how to properly perform the tasks necessary in this industry,” she continued. “Practicing the trade without the proper education may lead to bad installs, poor repairs, etc. This trend could create a ripple effect that will have the greatest impact on consumers.”

To accommodate the volume of tradespeople needed to sustain the industry, Ferenc insists there must be more schools, options, and full-time instructors.

“How are we going to train an inrush of tradespeople with the same amount of — or fewer — instructors?” she said. “While I’m happy to do my part, I can’t continue to run on passion alone. We need help.”

While traditional hands-on training has been the cornerstone of HVACR education for decades, that model may need to be revised, said Stringham.

“The complexity and cost of materials have surged, necessitating a shift in our teaching approach,” he said. “I foresee a greater reliance on modern tools, like virtual reality, allowing students to demonstrate proficiency without needing physical equipment, tools, or materials.”

Other areas of instruction, including coding, predictive maintenance, and artificial intelligence integrations, will require a different set of resources, he said.

“The advent of microcontrollers and the Internet of Things [IoT] will further intertwine with our HVAC equipment,” said Stringham. “Even the tools we've grown accustomed to, like gauges, are becoming wireless, and traditional paper tickets are being phased out in favor of handheld digital devices. The future will likely see many of these tasks automated, underscoring the need for our educational model to evolve in tandem with industry advancements."

Regardless of the teaching profession’s demands and challenges, many HVACR instructors, including Ferenc and Stringham, continue to devote their time in the classroom because of their unconditional love for the trades and desire to prepare the industry’s next generation.

“Guiding and mentoring students, enabling them to realize their aspirations — much like I did mine — has been wonderful,” said Stringham. “Serving as an HVAC instructor is all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’m actually living my dream.”