MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — You're probably cranking up your air conditioners this summer to battle the heat.
But if your unit needs repair, who will come out to help?
FOX43's Tyler Hatfield went to the The Pennsylvania Petroleum Association Technical Education Center (PPATEC) to learn what it takes to be a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician.
Tyler met with Nate Gembe, a technician from H.L. Bowman, and learned that no two days are the same.
"Every job is different, and every scenario is different," said Gembe. "You're figuring problems out, almost like a doctor would figure something out with a patient."
Tyler not only learned the duties of being an HVAC technician but also why the career is so important to the community.
Right now, the industry is experiencing one of the most extreme deficits of HVAC technicians in its history. In Pennsylvania, there are more than 2,000 vacant positions across the state, and HVAC installation and service companies are struggling to fill them, according to the PPATEC.
To make matters worse, the average age of a technician in Pennsylvania is around 50, and upcoming retirements are threatening to make that number of vacancies even greater very soon.
Ted Harris, the executive vice president of PPATEC, said this critical shortage could be remedied if young people took a chance with this industry and saw there was an alternative to the traditional college route.
"It's a great opportunity for people, and you're not incurring a lot of debt," said Harris. "You can get into a pretty good opportunity to be able to make money and make a sustainable wage."
Harris says PPATEC is a place where people, no matter their training level, can learn HVAC and other trades to further their careers.
For more information, click here.