PHOENIX - Finding qualified technicians has been a major problem in the HVACR industry for years and, unfortunately, it's probably going to get harder. Some schools are closing down HVACR programs because of declining enrollments. Such was the case with Universal Technical Institute's (UTI) Phoenix campus, which discontinued its HVACR programs in August 2003.
When UTI moved into its newly built facilities in June 2004, it did not want to take any of the equipment left from its now-defunct HVACR program. That was good news to cross-town "rival" Refrigeration School Inc. (RSI), which is now the largest provider in Phoenix for diplomas and degrees in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating technologies.