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Refrigeration and air conditioning courses for cold chain operators

For professionals working in the cold chain sector, a good all-round knowledge of refrigeration concepts is a must.

Whilst you don’t necessarily need to be a certified technician to get ahead in your day to day cold chain role, it’s good practice to have a handle on some of the basic concepts such as the refrigeration cycle, how hot & cold substances behave and how to accurately measure and monitor temperature in your facility.

Learning about these concepts can take anywhere from a few hours for short introductory modules up to years for complete courses and certification. 

Here’s a quick overview of what you will gain from both short courses and trade qualifications in HVAC&R. 

Short courses in refrigeration and temperature monitoring 

Completing a short course that covers these skills will give you a good grounding in the basics and enable you to pinpoint potential areas of concern when issues crop up in your cold chain processes

Take a look at our flagship course that gives a strong grounding in thermometers and temperature management for cold chain practitioners. 

  • Short course in refrigeration concepts: thermometer use in cold chain environments 

This short, down-to-earth online course is highly targeted to the cold chain industry, allowing students to gain practical knowledge quickly without unnecessary jargon or irrelevant concepts. 

The short, sharp modules allow you to learn at your own pace, which generally takes just a few hours. Plus, at the conclusion of the course, you’ll have an excellent understanding of how to measure temperature, how to accurately use different thermometers like probe and infrared units, and why monitoring the temperature of your goods is so critical to reducing waste. 

Going all-out: more involved refrigeration and air conditioning courses 

Of course, studying HVAC&R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration) is also an option for those that want to dig deeper into understanding the systems they work with. 

Courses in air conditioning and refrigeration are typically run through TAFE or other registered training organisations, giving students a good grounding in a wide range of mechanical and electrical concepts.

What does a refrigeration and air conditioning technician do? 

Refrigeration mechanics or technicians are trained to diagnose faults, as well as repair, recharge and modernise industrial, commercial and domestic air conditioning & refrigeration systems. 

Becoming competent in working with mechanical components means that as a technician in the cold chain industry, you’ll be well placed to assist with diagnosing and repairing systems in order to maintain cold chain integrity.

How long does it take to become an HVAC&R technician?

Trade courses or apprenticeships typically take a few years to complete. Because upskilling or changing careers to become an HVAC specialist is a big move, many people often look at short courses as a more manageable introduction to the industry. 

This means you can get a small taste of what it’s like to study a refrigeration and air conditioning course without committing to the typical career progression through an apprenticeship or traineeship. 

What courses are on offer? 

‘Certificate III in Air-conditioning and Refrigeration’ is the standard trade qualification, with a range of other specialist courses that delve deeper into specialist areas such as automotive air conditioning, handling specific refrigerants, working with split system air conditioning units and more. 

Additionally, most courses require the student to get on the job experience with an apprenticeship pathway and apply for a refrigerant handling license before they can legally work on any equipment. 

If you are mechanically minded, enjoy practical work, and love working in different settings then working in this field might be for you. Further information on refrigeration and air conditioning courses can be found on each State’s TAFE site, for example, TAFE NSW and TAFE Queensland

However, if you’re not 100% sure, why not give a short course a try first to see whether learning about HVAC&R is right for you? 

Just looking for a short course in refrigeration and air conditioning skills?

Enrolling in a short online course such as Thermometers and the Cold Chain Practitioner will give you a quick introduction to refrigeration aspects of cold chain operations, and touch on some of the concepts you will come across in working with cooling systems. 

Plus, short courses are very affordable: take a look at the training modules here and enrol now to gain skills that you can immediately apply in your career. 

Want to chat about a career in HVAC&R?

Get in touch with our team for more information on HVAC&R specialisation within the cold chain sector.