Runs installs from sold job to commissioned system: design checks, crews, materials, quality and handoff.

Usually from a shop of about 5. 32 required, 60 recommended and 39 elective skills in 4 stages.

Stages follow the tiers: Foundation, then Core, then Advanced. Skills inside a stage are in learning order.

Stage 1 · Foundation

14 required · 17 recommended · 2 elective

Required

1. PPE and jobsite hazards Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Ladders and fall protection Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
3. Lockout / tagout Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
4. Emergency first aid Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
5. Refrigerant and nitrogen handling safety Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
6. Heat, matter and pressure Foundation & Safety
7. Hand tools and instruments orientation Foundation & Safety
8. Trade math basics Foundation & Safety
9. Measurement and unit conversion Foundation & Safety
10. Industry orientation Foundation & Safety
11. Efficiency ratings literacy Foundation & Safety
12. Electrical shock and burn prevention Electrical & Controls Safety-critical
13. Carbon monoxide safety Heating Safety-critical
14. Customer communication fundamentals Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. Electricity and circuit laws Electrical & Controls
2. Series, parallel and combination circuits Electrical & Controls
3. Conductors, insulators and circuit protection Electrical & Controls
4. Using electrical meters Electrical & Controls
5. Airflow fundamentals Airflow & Ducts
6. Airflow measuring tools Airflow & Ducts
7. Duct insulation Airflow & Ducts
8. Refrigeration cycle basics Refrigeration Circuit
9. Saturation tables and P/T charts Refrigeration Circuit
10. Refrigerant piping basics Refrigeration Circuit
11. Line set insulation and support Refrigeration Circuit
12. Gauges and service valves Refrigeration Circuit
13. Combustion fundamentals Heating
14. Furnace configurations and components Heating
15. Condensate drain installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
16. Building science fundamentals Building Science & IAQ
17. Psychrometrics fundamentals Building Science & IAQ

Elective

1. Electric heat fundamentals Heating
2. Filtration Building Science & IAQ

Stage 2 · Core

10 required · 34 recommended · 21 elective

Required

1. Rigging, hot work and confined spaces Foundation & Safety Safety-critical
2. Duct sealing and leakage testing Airflow & Ducts
3. Recovery, recycling and reclaim Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
4. A2L refrigerant fundamentals Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
5. Blower door testing Building Science & IAQ
6. Manual J load calculation Design & Commissioning
7. Manual S equipment selection Design & Commissioning
8. Commissioning fundamentals Design & Commissioning
9. Pricing and proposals Business & Leadership
10. Inventory and warehouse management Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. Reading wiring diagrams Electrical & Controls
2. Transformers and control voltage Electrical & Controls
3. Run and start capacitors Electrical & Controls
4. Single-phase motors Electrical & Controls
5. Contactors, relays and solenoids Electrical & Controls
6. Conventional thermostat wiring Electrical & Controls
7. High and low voltage verification Electrical & Controls
8. Measuring static pressure Airflow & Ducts
9. Measuring total system airflow Airflow & Ducts
10. Airflow for capacity Airflow & Ducts
11. Sheet metal fabrication Airflow & Ducts
12. Duct board and flex duct installation Airflow & Ducts
13. Duct routing and support Airflow & Ducts
14. Nitrogen purge and pressure testing Refrigeration Circuit
15. Brazing and soldering Refrigeration Circuit
16. System evacuation Refrigeration Circuit
17. Charging by weight Refrigeration Circuit
18. Superheat and subcooling Refrigeration Circuit
19. Leak detection Refrigeration Circuit
20. Venting systems Heating Safety-critical
21. Gas piping Heating Safety-critical
22. Temperature rise and furnace airflow Heating
23. Indoor equipment installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
24. Outdoor and package unit installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
25. Heat pump cycle and reversing valve Cooling & Heat Pumps
26. Heat pump charging Cooling & Heat Pumps
27. Heat pump types and selection Cooling & Heat Pumps
28. Ductless mini-split installation Cooling & Heat Pumps
29. Power and amperage commissioning checks Cooling & Heat Pumps
30. Wireless probes and diagnostic apps Design & Commissioning
31. Systematic troubleshooting method Design & Commissioning
32. Rebates and incentive programs Business & Leadership
33. Dispatching and scheduling Business & Leadership
34. Office operations and administration Business & Leadership

Elective

1. Sensors and thermistors Electrical & Controls
2. Blower setup and speed adjustment Airflow & Ducts
3. Belt-drive blower maintenance Airflow & Ducts
4. Refrigerant types and blends Refrigeration Circuit
5. Compressors and oils Refrigeration Circuit
6. Condensers and evaporators Refrigeration Circuit
7. Metering devices Refrigeration Circuit
8. Line components and pressure controls Refrigeration Circuit
9. Gas valves and burners Heating
10. Ignition and flame proving Heating
11. Gas pressure, input and derating Heating
12. Oil burner fundamentals Heating
13. Electric heat service and installation Heating
14. Defrost controls Cooling & Heat Pumps
15. Heat pump thermostats and auxiliary heat Cooling & Heat Pumps
16. Moisture and vapour control Building Science & IAQ
17. Psychrometric chart plotting Building Science & IAQ
18. Ventilation strategies Building Science & IAQ
19. Air purification and pollutant control Building Science & IAQ
20. Humidification and dehumidification Building Science & IAQ
21. Efficiency standards and incentives Building Science & IAQ

Stage 3 · Advanced

8 required · 8 recommended · 16 elective

Required

1. Heat pump sizing strategies Design & Commissioning
2. Manual D duct design Design & Commissioning
3. Manual T air distribution Design & Commissioning
4. Refrigerant line sizing Design & Commissioning
5. Total system performance verification Design & Commissioning
6. Installation department management Business & Leadership
7. Hiring and onboarding Business & Leadership
8. Teaching and mentoring technicians Business & Leadership

Recommended

1. Communicating and smart thermostats Electrical & Controls
2. Panel capacity for electrification Electrical & Controls
3. Air balancing Airflow & Ducts
4. A2L installation and service Refrigeration Circuit Safety-critical
5. Cold-climate heat pump performance Cooling & Heat Pumps
6. Dual-fuel systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
7. Financial fundamentals for contractors Business & Leadership
8. Regulatory and technology transition Business & Leadership

Elective

1. ECM and variable-speed motors Electrical & Controls
2. Electrical troubleshooting Electrical & Controls
3. Charging blends and manufacturer methods Refrigeration Circuit
4. Refrigerant charge diagnostics Refrigeration Circuit
5. Compressor efficiency and failure analysis Refrigeration Circuit
6. Combustion analysis Heating
7. Gas furnace troubleshooting Heating
8. Oil furnace setup and tuning Heating
9. Variable-speed systems Cooling & Heat Pumps
10. Multi-zone mini-split charging and service Cooling & Heat Pumps
11. Residential AC troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
12. Heat pump troubleshooting Cooling & Heat Pumps
13. Building pressure diagnostics Building Science & IAQ
14. Energy auditing Building Science & IAQ
15. Existing system performance optimisation Design & Commissioning
16. Fault codes and board-level diagnostics Design & Commissioning

Stage 4 · Specialist

1 recommended

Recommended

1. Leadership and company culture Business & Leadership