HVAC/R Apprentice Hub
Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics (often just called "refrig mechanics" or "fridgies") keep things cold and keep buildings comfortable. That covers a huge range: the split system in a lounge room, the ducted system in an office tower, the coolroom out the back of a pub, the freezers in a supermarket, and the big plant that runs a cold store or a food factory. It is a licensed trade because you work with pressurised refrigerant gas and mains electricity, so the training and tickets are taken seriously.
It is a four year apprenticeship built around the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. You learn refrigeration theory, brazing, electrical fault finding, controls and gas handling. Demand is steady across the country because nearly every building, shop and supermarket has cooling that eventually breaks down. The trade splits into a few worlds (domestic, commercial HVAC and industrial refrigeration) and where you land shapes your day, your tools and your pay.
Start with these
What apprentices actually do
- •Install air conditioning and refrigeration: brackets, indoor and outdoor units, coolrooms and plant.
- •Run and braze copper pipe, then pressure test with nitrogen and pull a vacuum before charging.
- •Recover, weigh in and charge refrigerant, and log it as required under the gas licence.
- •Fault find electrical and mechanical problems: compressors, fans, capacitors, sensors and controls.
- •Service and maintain gear: clean coils and filters, check gas charge, and tune systems for efficiency.
- •Read wiring diagrams and pipework layouts, and wire up controls and thermostats.
- •Handle service call outs and breakdowns, including after hours when a system or coolroom goes down.
Residential, commercial or industrial?
Same trade, very different day depending on the kind of work your employer does.
Residential and light commercial
Installing and servicing split systems, multi-heads and small ducted units in homes, units, shops and cafes. This is where a lot of first years start.
- •Day to day: back to back split installs, filter cleans, no-cool call outs, and helping run pipe and drains.
- •Tools: hammer drill and core bits, vacuum pump, gauges, flaring kit, nitrogen and a ladder get used every day.
- •Paperwork: install sheets, ARCtick logging when gas is added, electrical Certificate of Compliance for the connection.
- •Pace and pay: fast and repetitive, lots of small jobs a day. Often on a smaller award-based business rather than an EBA.
- •Travel: heaps of driving between jobs across the suburbs, working in roof spaces and tight cupboards.
Commercial HVAC (building services)
Bigger air conditioning on offices, hospitals, shopping centres, schools and high rise: ducted systems, VRF/VRV, chillers, cooling towers and building controls.
- •Day to day: install and commissioning on new builds, then planned maintenance and breakdowns once occupied.
- •Tools: same core kit plus larger recovery units, digital manifolds, brazing gear and controls laptops or BMS access.
- •Paperwork: site inductions, SWMS/JSA, permits (hot work, working at heights, confined space), commissioning sheets.
- •Pace and pay: steadier days, often on an EBA on larger jobs with site allowances, RDOs and shift work. Strong union presence in some states.
- •You work alongside sparkies, plumbers and riggers, so coordination and site rules matter.
Industrial refrigeration
Process and cold-chain refrigeration: supermarkets, cold stores, abattoirs, breweries, food and drink factories and ammonia plant.
- •Day to day: large racks, glycol and ammonia systems, compressors, controls and a lot of pipework and problem solving.
- •Tools: heavier fitting tools, larger brazing and welding, torque and alignment gear, plus data loggers and controls.
- •Paperwork: isolation and lockout permits, ammonia (toxic gas) procedures, plant logbooks and maintenance records.
- •Pace and pay: often the best paid stream, frequently EBA with on-call and shift loadings because plant must keep running.
- •Higher stakes: a coolroom or process failure spoils stock fast, so after hours call outs are part of the job.
A day in the life (first year)
- ▹Load the ute or van in the morning: pipe, fittings, brackets, gas bottle, recovery unit and the day's job sheets.
- ▹Head to a house with the tradesperson to install a back to back split system: drill the wall, mount the brackets, run and flare the pipe.
- ▹Pressure test with nitrogen, pull a vacuum, then release the charge and check it runs and cools while the boss logs the gas.
- ▹Drive to a no-cool call out: clean filters, check the capacitor and fault find why the outdoor unit is not starting.
- ▹Clean up, restock the van, and update the paperwork so the office can invoice the job.
- ▹Get pulled up on theory by the tradesperson: superheat, subcooling and why the system is short of gas.
First-year expectations
- →Expect to be the labourer first: carrying gear, drilling, running pipe and cleaning up while you learn.
- →You will do a lot of filter cleans and simple installs before you are trusted with fault finding and charging.
- →You cannot buy or handle refrigerant on your own yet: you work under supervision and a trainee gas licence.
- →There is real theory to learn (pressures, temperatures, the refrigeration cycle) and TAFE will test you on it.
- →Early starts, hot roof spaces, cold coolrooms and some grotty spots come with the job.
- →Ask questions and take notes: the good tradespeople will teach you if you show up keen and on time.
Tools you'll need
Common terms
- Refrigerant
- The gas that carries heat around the system, like R32, R410A or ammonia.
- ARCtick / RAC licence
- The national refrigerant handling licence you need to legally buy and work with gas.
- Superheat and subcooling
- Temperature readings used to judge whether a system has the right gas charge.
- Pulling a vacuum
- Using a vacuum pump to remove air and moisture before adding refrigerant.
- Pressure test
- Charging the pipework with nitrogen to check for leaks before commissioning.
- Brazing
- Joining copper pipe with silver alloy and a torch to make a sealed joint.
- Split system
- An air conditioner with an indoor head and a separate outdoor unit.
- VRF / VRV
- Variable refrigerant flow: one outdoor unit feeding many indoor units in a commercial building.
- Coolroom
- An insulated room kept cold for food or stock, common in pubs, shops and factories.
- Recovery
- Capturing refrigerant out of a system into a bottle instead of venting it to air.
TAFE & study support
Off the job training is done through a TAFE or registered training organisation delivering the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, usually on block release or one day a week across about four years. You learn refrigeration theory, brazing, electrical and controls in workshops, then apply it on the job with your employer. Your training plan and logbook record the competencies you complete, and both your employer and the RTO sign off as you progress. While you train you hold a trainee refrigerant handling licence so you can legally work with gas under supervision.
Licensing & qualifications
The core qualification is the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (UEE32225), confirmed as the current code on training.gov.au (it replaced UEE32220 in 2025). On top of that you need a national ARCtick Refrigerant Handling Licence to buy and handle refrigerant, held as a trainee licence while you are an apprentice. Contractor and building work licensing is state based and separate: for example Queensland licenses the work through the QBCC, NSW through Building Commission NSW, and Victoria through the VBA plus a Restricted Electrical Worker's licence for disconnect and reconnect. Always check the requirements with the regulator in your own state or territory.
What you'll get paid
Apprentices are paid a percentage of the qualified tradesperson rate, and that percentage steps up each year of the apprenticeship. Base pay is set by a modern award (commonly the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award for this trade, though some work sits under the plumbing, building and construction or manufacturing awards), while commercial, union and resources sites often run an enterprise agreement (EBA) that pays above award with site, travel and shift allowances and RDOs. Check your exact minimum on the Fair Work Pay Calculator, and remember adult apprentices are usually entitled to higher minimum rates.
Common questions
How long is the apprenticeship?
Usually four years of combined on the job work and TAFE, though it can be a bit quicker if you progress well.
Do I need my own tools straight away?
You buy basic hand tools and a multimeter over time. The employer supplies the expensive gear like vacuum pumps, recovery units and gauges early on. Keep receipts, as tools can be tax deductible.
Can I handle gas as a first year?
Yes, but only under supervision and on a trainee refrigerant handling licence. You get your full ARCtick licence once you finish your Certificate III.
Is it better to go with an employer or a group training organisation?
Both work. Direct employment keeps you in one business, while a GTO employs you and places you with host employers, which can help if a host runs out of work or you want variety.
What is the difference between air con and refrigeration work?
Air con is mostly comfort cooling and heating for buildings, refrigeration is coolrooms, freezers and process cooling. Many fridgies do both, but industrial refrigeration is a more specialised stream.
Do I also need an electrical licence?
You are not a full electrician, but you often need a restricted electrical licence to disconnect and reconnect the units you work on. This is state based and you get it after the relevant training.
Is there work in regional areas?
Yes. Every town has coolrooms, supermarkets and air con, and regional and mine or resources work can pay very well, though you may travel or work away.
Safety reminders
- ⚠Treat refrigerant with respect: it can cause frostbite and cold burns, and it displaces oxygen, so ventilate coolrooms and confined spaces before you work.
- ⚠Recover gas, never vent it: releasing refrigerant is illegal and dangerous, and ammonia plant is toxic and needs its own procedures.
- ⚠Braze safely: use eye protection, watch for hot work fire risk, keep a extinguisher handy and never braze on a system still under pressure or with refrigerant in it.
- ⚠Isolate and lock out power before working on electrical parts, and test that it is dead. Capacitors can hold a charge.
- ⚠Work safely at heights: units live on roofs, plant decks and ladders, so use edge protection and fall gear and tie off where needed.
- ⚠Follow the site paperwork: inductions, SWMS, and permits for hot work, confined space and heights are there to keep you alive, not to slow you down.
Sources and official links
Straight from the source. These open in a new tab.
- training.gov.au: UEE32225 Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (opens in a new tab)
- ARCtick: Refrigerant Handling Licence (opens in a new tab)
- ARCtick: Trainee Licences for apprentices (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: Award coverage for air-conditioning tradespersons and refrigeration mechanics (opens in a new tab)
- Fair Work Pay Calculator (opens in a new tab)
- QBCC: Mechanical services (air-conditioning and refrigeration) licences (opens in a new tab)
- Building Commission NSW: Air conditioning and refrigeration work licensing (opens in a new tab)
- VBA: Refrigerated air-conditioning work registration and licensing (opens in a new tab)
- Energy Safe Victoria: Restricted Electrical Worker's licence (REL) (opens in a new tab)
- Jobs and Skills Australia: Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics profile (opens in a new tab)
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