Trades: Refrigeration and Air-conditioning

Lachlan McGrath (Refrigeration Teacher) and Josh Nash (Student) talk about the experience of studying refrigeration and air-conditioning trades at RMIT. They are featured talking to camera interspersed with scenes of students in workshops and other learning environments. Upbeat music plays throughout.

Duration: 2:10

[Opening title]
RMIT University presents
Refrigeration and Air-conditioning
RMIT Trades

Lachlan McGrath (Refrigeration Teacher): We're teaching refrigeration air conditioning here at RMIT.

We train people to fix, repair and maintain refrigeration air conditioning equipment.

Josh Nash (Student): Refrigeration's every trade in one.  

You've got a bit of chippy work when you put a unit in, and you've got your electrical part, which is your fault finding, or your electrical diagrams, schematics, and everything like that.

Then you've got your plumbing side, which is your refrigeration part.

Lachlan McGrath: It's a 4 year apprenticeship in the field. You do 3 years of schooling here, broken up into a first, second, and third year program.

In this trade, once you hold your apprenticeship, then you just need to apply for your licenses, et cetera, and you can work for yourself, yes.

The particular room we're standing in at the moment has basically a stimulated supermarket system.

We've also got in here, a simulated pump set up, and different types of pump equipment for beer cooling, et cetera, et cetera, under bar fridges as you'd see in commercial kitchens.

RMIT is quite unique as a refrigeration air conditioning school, where we're very well equipped.

Josh Nash: My favorite thing is the ice cream machine.

Lachlan McGrath: Yes, it's always our most popular day, when the apprentices have to get the ice cream machine up and going.

Everyone loves the soft serve machine.

Josh Nash: I chose RMIT because of the ease to get here. It's just a train ride from everywhere.

Straight to the city, straight off the train, a 5 minute walk.

We have a lot more stuff to work on. A lot, bigger classrooms.

Classes seems to be toned down a lot more than in other places, so you've got more one on one with the teacher to be taught a lot more.

Lachlan McGrath: All the teachers here at RMIT have been in industry and worked in industry.

Students being taught are being taught by people that have been where they were.

We're a very boutique trade. Very small. Everyone within the industry does tend to know each other.

Josh Nash: Teachers are good. Teachers are always very helpful. If you need help, they're always there to help.

Any problems, it's just a phone call or email away. They're very responsive.

After I finish my apprenticeship, I want to do an electrical apprenticeship.

Through the study and the help of the teachers and the institute itself, I believe I am on the right track to achieving my goals.

[Closing title]
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This video features the song Elevate available under a royalty free license.
RTO code 3046

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