It’s common for students who enroll in our HVAC-R program to have their career goals set on various industries. Because such a variety of concepts are learned during their 18-month training, graduates leave with a skillset that is unmatched by most other programs. This was the case for Erich Benjamin, who graduated in March 2024.
“I chose HVAC because I like working with my hands,” says Benjamin. “I was very interested in electrical work. It’s crazy how much you can learn from HVAC. So many other trade skills are learned when doing it.”
Benjamin is currently a technician at Climatech, a company he really enjoys working at.
“I really like it here. All of the guys are cool and no one makes you feel bad for asking questions.”
To keep up-to-date with new technologies and to build experience, his manager has Benjamin and his coworkers go to trainings every Wednesday. But learning from his coworkers has had the biggest impact for him.
“When I started at Climatech, they had me following around more experienced techs, which made me feel a lot better to get to learn from them. Then I got my own account. I have learned so much since I started working there.”
Beyond opening the doors to future employers, Penn Commercial’s instructors gave Benjamin a solid skillset to get on a success career path. From the first time he visited the school, he knew he would get the support he needed.
“I chose Penn Commercial because when I went on tour there, every teacher was happy to help and wanted the best for me. Not just the teachers, though, but every single person in that building.”
Benjamin believes HVAC-R is a great industry for others to get into as well. “You learn something new every day and you will never get bored,” he says. “Time flies.”