Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air was recently named a NATE Testing Organization (TO) as well as a Recognized Training Provider.
While you might be asking yourself ‘why should I care?’ in the world of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration NATE certification for HVAC Technicians is the gold standard.
The North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is the nation’s largest non-profit certification organization for the HVAC industry.
According to Bryan Rominger, Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air VP and Dean of Students at Anderson Career Builder Institute, “NATE was founded in 1997 to elevate the professionalism of the heating and cooling industry. A group of leading HVAC manufacturers were tired of unnecessary warranty call backs on their equipment because it had not been properly installed. As a result, NATE Training and Certification programs were developed and HVAC contractors were required to have NATE Certified Technicians on staff or the manufacturer would not sell equipment to them.”
NATE certifications represent real world working knowledge of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR) systems. NATE certification exams are rigorous knowledge-based tests which validate a technician’s knowledge. Technicians may earn Installation and/or Service certification in a variety of specialty areas.
“In our industry, NATE certification equates to HVACR professionalism. We are honored to share that two of our Anderson Career Builder Institute programs were approved by NATE for 80 hours of training. At this point in time, we’re the only San Diego County HVAC company and trade school with this distinction,” added Rominger.
While the technicians can take NATE classes in person or online, they must then be tested by an approved NATE Testing Organization to earn their certification. Anderson’s designation as a NATE Training Organization and Recognized Training Provider allows apprentices to take classes, prepare for their test and take their test all in the same facility. Rominger is also a NATE designated Proctor and will oversee exams periodically throughout the year.
“We started Anderson Career Builder Institute in 2017 to address the nationwide shortage of individuals seeking employment in the trades,” said Mary Jean Anderson, president/CEO of Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air. “To date, we’ve hired 95% of our graduates and placed the other 5% with other companies. The NATE approved curriculum and designation as an official NATE Testing Organization is further validation of the high caliber of instructors and training that we provide at no cost to selected applicants. In fact, we pay them a salary and they spend 2 days a week in the classroom and 3 days a week out in the field with an experienced mentor.”
“Study after study shows that employment opportunities within our industry will grow year over year for many years to come. Our challenge as an industry is to find the right people to fill those positions and then provide them with training and certification opportunities that they need to enjoy a lucrative career in our business. Our affiliation with NATE is just one more bit of evidence that sets us apart from the rest,” added Anderson.