Page 21 - Climate Control News - July 2018

In Focus
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT:
Society generally doesn’t value the RAC trade.
The ability to diagnose faults and repair them is dying as smart machines enter the market.
The residential air conditioning sector is
the largest employer of apprentices across the country.
INSET: Refrigerant Reclaim Australia is sponsor of the Breaking Boundaries program at CCN Live which is being held in Melbourne for the first time this year.
IT’S GAME ON AT CCN LIVE 2018
parts-changer to keep them operational.” This issue is exacerbated by the fact that employers tend to specialise in smaller
niche markets.
For example, the rapid rise in self-contained
refrigeration and air conditioning products has altered the training landscape.
Smith said the residential air conditioning sector is the largest employer of apprentices across the country, accounting for between 50 and 80 per cent of enrolments.
“This is one reason why Cert III is no longer in step with the needs of today's employers,” he said.
“Although the RAC course has undergone many revisions since the 1960s to provide for the latest technologies, nothing was removed.
“So today's apprentices are being forced to understand the installation, commission-
ing, fault finding and maintenance aspects of every machine in every sector of our in- dustry – they are being crammed with too much information.
Asked to compare today's RAC students to those of a decade ago and Smith is quick to respond.
“The biggest change is that today's students have a much shorter attention span and poor levels of comprehension,” he said.
But Smith is optimistic that all of the is- sues facing the trade today can be resolved and he is excited about being a part of an awards program.
“I am a big believer in rewarding effort,” he said.
“It is the most satisfying part of my job so I am sure I will enjoy being part of the HVACR Leadership Awards.” ✺
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS
JULY 2018
For anyone committed to revitalising the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) trade it’s Game On.
2018 is the year the trade is undergoing a national training review to assess current certifications and to plan for coming decades.
But its about more than getting the right training framework in place its about breaking new boundaries, finding ways to give the RAC trade greater visibility and value.
To ensure the RAC trade gets the recognition it deserves, industry has been working on a special project to help make this happen, an initiative that will be unveiled at CCN Live on October 11, 2018.
Don’t miss out and for the first time ever, CCN Live will not be held in Sydney. We are off to the Arts Centre in Melbourne.
This is also the day CCN announces the winners of its 2018 HVACR Leadership Awards.
Tickets to this special event will go on sale later this month at www.climatecontrolnews. com.au/live
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