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Once you successfully complete your gas technician training and certification, your career options are practically limitless. Your Gas Technician license opens doors to skilled trades career opportunities that you may not have even considered before. In our Career Close-Up series, we'll explore the industry jobs you can choose from to help you prepare for the career you want!
Gas Appliance Repair Technician
Gas appliance repair technicians are the heroes who come to the rescue when water heaters, washers, dryers, stoves or fireplaces are malfunctioning. As a gas appliance repair technician, you will specialize in gas appliances, particularly heating devices, and supporting mechanisms — for example, thermocouples (or heat sensors), thermostats, safety valves and pilot lights (often the most frequent source of problems). Keeping up with manufacturer innovations and service bulletins and being well-educated in the diagnosis, service and repair of the components that keep appliances working.
What you need to know
While many gas appliance repair technicians may learn through on-the-job training, employers prefer hiring graduates of a Gas Technician program. A completed certification (G3 and G2 licensing) will get you hired faster. With your completed license, you will learn about temperature control, heat distribution and equipment design. The best training will provide you with hands-on learning opportunities where you will get in-depth experience in a classroom and lab to learn exactly what you need to know on the appliances you will work on in the field.
Why you should consider this career
Gas Technician employment (and skilled trades employment in general) is in an obvious upswing. As we've mentioned often, Canada is suffering from a skilled trades shortage. In fact, by 2020, it has been estimated that there will be 1 million skilled trades jobs available in Canada. That said, those with formal training in appliance repair will be in demand. And despite home appliances being offered at lower costs and customers choosing to replace appliances rather than repair, the retirement of repair technicians is creating a demand for certified Gas Technicians across the country.
And the best part? When you get your education at the Skilled Trades Academies — be it at our Niagara campus or Halton campus — you can be out working in just 17 weeks! You'll beat the rush into the workforce!
