Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
HVAC
When it breaks,you’ll knowwhy.
Service heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems in homes and commercial buildings. You'll train toward EPA Section 608 certification, which federal law requires before you can legally handle refrigerant, plus NCCER Core and Level 1 HVAC.
$61,010 median
What HVAC technicians earn nationally, about 20% above the median for all jobs.
2 Years
Junior and senior year. A senior-only option is available, but you'll miss a full year of lab time and credential prep.
No Tuition
Lab fees are typically a few hundred dollars. Payment plans are available.
College Credit
Earn college credit toward a degree while you are still in high school.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, May 2025 wage data. The median across all occupations was $50,980. Pay depends on experience, certifications, and employer.
Credentials You Can Earn
Every one of these is earned by passing the exam. We get you ready. The score is yours.
EPA SECTION 608
Refrigerant Certification
- Type I — small appliances
- Type II — high pressure systems
- Type III — low pressure systems
- Universal — all three
NCCER AND OPERATOR
Trade Credentials
- NCCER Core
- NCCER Level 1 HVAC
- Forklift Operation
EPA Section 608 is federal law, not a nice-to-have. Without it you cannot legally buy or handle refrigerant, which means you cannot do most of the job. The NCCER credentials are recorded in a national registry any contractor can look up.
Real Systems. Real Faults.
Nobody calls an HVAC tech when things are going well. The job is walking into a building that's too hot or too cold and figuring out why, fast.
- The refrigeration cycle and how systems actually work
- Recovering, charging, and handling refrigerant safely
- Furnaces, heat pumps, and air conditioning
- Commercial refrigeration
- Electrical controls, wiring, and thermostats
- Brazing, piping, and sheet metal work
- Airflow, ductwork, and system balancing
- Diagnosing a system that has quit working
In the labRows of real furnaces and AC units that are yours to work on. You'll hook them up, break them, fix them, and swap them out, over and over, until the reps add up and a job site doesn't feel like the first time.
Why WCCC
You troubleshoot live equipment
You work on running systems, find the fault, and fix it. Anyone can learn to swap a part. What gets you hired is being the person who can tell you what went wrong and why.
Keep your home school
You're still part of your home high school. Graduate with your class, and keep playing sports, going to prom, and showing up for homecoming.
Steady demand
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects HVAC jobs to grow 11% through 2035, much faster than average, with about 40,600 openings a year. Buildings need heating and cooling everywhere, which makes this work hard to offshore and hard to automate.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 projections.Where This Can Lead
This program is a head start, not the finish line. When you graduate, you'll have real options:
Start working
Installer or service helper with a residential, commercial, or refrigeration contractor
Keep training
Employer training, technical school, or an apprenticeship if you land one
Keep building
Lead service tech, commercial refrigeration, building controls, or your own company
Take a Look Around
Applications open December 2.
See the lab before you apply.