Georgian’s HRAC prepares students to become more competitive in finding employment as apprentices of the 313A or 313D Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Systems Mechanic Trade.

For those pursuing a postsecondary education, HVAC and HRAC mean the same thing. Companies who advertise for HVAC position would also be interested in hiring an HRAC graduate, because upon graduation they will be equipped with the G2 (Gas Technician 2 heating license), a co-op work-term experience and one academic semester of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanic training.

Yes, you can. There are grade 12 math equivalent courses offered at the college that you can take while you’re a Gas Technician (GAST) student. Although it would be better to obtain the math credit before starting as an HRAC student, you can transfer from GAST to HRAC once you meet the GAST graduation requirements. However, this is contingent on the availability of seats in the HRAC program at the time of transfer.

Typically, having an Ontario College Diploma will not reduce the number of hours you are required to work in the field before you are eligible to write the licensing examination.

The Gas Technician (GAST) program starts every September, with courses delivered in the evenings and weekends. A typical week timetable has three week night courses, in addition to either Saturday or Sunday courses. We do not schedule classes for both Saturday and Sunday so that students will always have at least one weekend day without classes to attend. Classes typically start after 5 p.m. on weeknights and at 8 a.m. on weekend days.

The HRAC program provides training to successfully obtain the TSSA G2 (Gas Technician 2) Ontario Certificate of Qualification. The G2 license is also known as the ‘heating license’ or ‘ticket’.

The heating license is regulated and granted by the TSSA, while the ‘cooling license’ (313A or 313D) is regulated and granted by the Ontario College of Trades.

The heating license can be obtained without apprenticeship, while the cooling license requires three or five years of apprenticeship for the 313A and 313D, respectively.

A co-op preparation course is offered to all of our first year students in co-op programs in order to prepare them for the co-op process and to provide them with information and resources needed to be successful.

Co-op in college is different than co-op in high school, in that it is a competitive process rather than a placement. Students actively participate in the whole job search process in order to find a co-op position. This is done through co-op job postings, which you can apply to through the college database, or opportunities you find through your own independent efforts. We will do our best to get your ready through the summer so that you can find a co-op position in the fall.

Both HRAC and GAST have identical first three months in terms of courses, content and program start and end dates. However, HRAC is delivered Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while GAST is delivered several week evenings and Saturdays. Under extenuating circumstances, GAST students can take their courses Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and HRAC students can take their courses in the evenings and Saturdays.