TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — You can have a solid career and good pay without college if you train for a technical career. Right now opportunities are hot in a business dedicated to keeping you cool.
If you think it’s a good job installing air conditioning in a place where it’s over 100 degrees a lot of the time, you’d be right. And the companies that do that are looking for more workers.
It’s a busy morning at Rite Way Heating Cooling and Plumbing. Technicians are loading trucks with replacement air conditioners that will be blessed relief for homeowners all over the area.
Andrew Cox will be one of the workers installing this gear. He’s 17 years old, and fresh out of the Heating Ventilation and AC course at JTED, the area’s Joint Technical Education District.
He says, “There’s so much room to grow. And we know here it's like the opportunity to be able to be 17, getting into a job, not even a job, having a career, and being able to move up into the business you know going to where I was going to service I can say install, having the opportunities is phenomenal.”
Andrew’s an apprentice now, expanding and reinforcing what he learned at JTED by working with techs with more installations under their belts. Chris Sundin, his General Manager says he can make good money now, with even better money fast.
“Lead installers can make anywhere from 60 to $100,000, the technicians, some of them are making over $100,000 Getting into sales. The sky's the limit really there.”
Sundin says his company’s so busy he could hire another 15 people. He says Riteway doesn't do much new construction but they are doing a lot of business at homes from the last building boom about fifteen years ago.
“And all those systems are getting ready to be replaced. So we anticipate a lot of demand over the next five to 10 years.”
Now Andrew Cox is looking forward to where his career will take him, in the years ahead or just tomorrow.
“Some days you're on the roof. Some days you’re in the attic, you know, most days on the floor you know by the house, but every day is a new place, new side of town, new home, new area.”
