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Pickens Technical College’s HVAC pathway gives you the skills and experience to start working in an industry that people will always need, as long as buildings are heated and cooled the way they are. If you enroll in the HVAC program, you’ll get 270 hours of job safety, soldering, brazing, basic electricity, and more, with an emphasis on performance testing after repairs. You’ll also learn how to use state-of-the-art equipment and see how heating and cooling parts work with each other using Pickens’ Cengage Brain-Computer for three-dimensional animation programs. After you learn about the equipment and how to stay safe when working on HVAC machinery, you’ll go to work at an internship with the Aurora Public Schools Maintenance Department or the Cherry Creek School District to hone your skills and learn on the job. 

Believe it or not, the HVAC industry is constantly shifting with new technology designed to make it easier for maintenance workers and contractors entering the market all the time. One way that these innovations percolate throughout the industry across the country is the annual AHR Expo. The 2020 Expo ended in February, but understanding how to navigate this important tradeshow and understanding the impact it has on the industry is a key part of growing as an HVAC expert once you graduate from Pickens’ HVAC program.

Making the Most of the AHR Expo

The AHR Expo is the largest HVACR event in the world, drawing industry professionals of all stripes from around the world. This year, it was held in Orlando, Florida. Included in the AHR Expo for attendees is a forum in which manufacturers of all specialties and sizes share ideas about the industry and shiny new products that could shift how all HVAC workers do their jobs. 

Learning about new technology and ways of utilizing it to improve HVAC repair and manufacturing processes is a huge reason why professionals attend this massive tradeshow. But other hugely important reasons are to form business relationships, network with other professionals, and make trade deals. It’s rare for so many HVAC manufacturers and workers to be in the same place at the same time. If you ever find yourself attending the Expo, make sure you make the most of your time by swapping business cards with other professionals and vendors. 

AHR Strategy

Since the AHR Expo is so large and overwhelming, HVAC professionals often come in with a plan. They start by identifying what exactly they need from the Expo since they can’t be everywhere at once. Some HVAC professionals come to this event to help boost their business by building brand awareness or just by making connections and sowing the seeds of future meet-ups and deals. The professionals who make the most of this event study exhibitors before they get there, so they have an idea of where they need to be and when. 

Pickens’ HVAC program is the first step in becoming a successful HVAC business owner or technician. The AHR Expo could be a big step in your future career as an HVAC professional.