Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC)
Hands-on training for in-demand climate and comfort careers
Colorado Mountain College’s HVAC programs prepare you for a stable, high-paying career keeping homes, schools, and businesses comfortable and energy efficient. Learn from industry professionals in fully equipped training labs.
Whether you’re just starting out or already working in the field, CMC’s HVAC certificates provide the skills, credentials, and confidence to advance your career.
Why choose CMC for HVAC training?
- Learn by doing. Train on industry-grade systems using voltmeters, manometers, gauges, and diagnostic tools — the same equipment used by working professionals.
- Earn national credentials. Each course prepares you for NCCER (National Center for Construction Education & Research) certification, the national standard for HVAC technicians.
- Industry partnerships. Classes are taught at R&H Mechanical in Eagle and at Climate Control in Glenwood Springs, connecting students directly to local employers
- High demand, strong wages. Skilled HVAC technicians are in demand across Colorado, with salaries ranging from $60,000–$125,000 depending on experience and certification.
Program options
HVAC Basic Certificate
Gain a strong foundation in heating, cooling, air distribution, and electrical systems. You’ll learn trade mathematics, soldering and brazing, refrigerants and oils, leak detection, and more.
Earn NCCER Core, HVAC Level I, and HVAC Level II badges, plus a Certificate of Occupational Proficiency in Basic HVAC from CMC.
HVAC Advanced Certificate
Build on your Basic Certificate to deepen your skills in fasteners and wiring, steam systems, hydronics, water treatment, energy conservation, system design, and blueprint reading.
Earn NCCER HVAC Level III and Level IV credentials and a Certificate of Occupational Proficiency in Advanced HVAC from CMC.
Request Program Information
The HVAC Basic Certificate is offered at:
- Rifle: Mostly in-person
- Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs: Mostly in-person
- Vail Valley at Edwards: Mostly in-person
The HVAC Advanced Certificate is offered at:
- Rifle: Mostly in-person
- Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs: Mostly in-person
- Vail Valley at Edwards: Mostly in-person
- Trade math and electrical systems
- Heating, cooling, and air distribution
- Soldering, brazing, and piping
- Heat pumps and refrigeration systems
- Diagnostics and repair
- System design and energy conservation
- Hydronic and steam systems
- Reading and interpreting construction drawings
Graduates work as:
- HVAC technicians and installers
- Refrigeration or hydronics specialists
- System designers and energy auditors
- Maintenance professionals for commercial or residential systems
Employers across the region — from local contractors to large facilities — rely on CMC-trained technicians to meet growing demand for skilled workers in the trades.
Related Degrees
Associate
Certificate
Auto Facility Ops/ Vehicle Maintenance
Automotive Electrical Systems
Automatic Transmissions
Brakes
Suspension & Steering
Heating & Air Condition
Engine Repair
Basic Welding and Cutting Certificate
Essential Skills
Pipe Welding Certificate
Welding Design and Fabrication Certificate
HVAC Program News
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We need trained HVAC employees
It’s a sentiment long echoed by many businesses in the Roaring Fork Valley.
Industry leaders like Tim Braun at R&H Mechanical wanted to develop a solution. “We had our own internal training program,” Tim explains, “but I thought having an established curriculum with national credentials was a better opportunity for our people.” Read more: We need trained HVAC employees
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Jim Jones Leads CMC’s Effort to Grow Colorado’s Trades Workforce
A new statewide report outlines a pressing challenge: Colorado needs far more skilled-trade workers to meet its energy and infrastructure goals, especially in rural and mountain regions. As buildings undergo efficiency upgrades, renewable systems expand, and older trades professionals retire, communities face widening workforce gaps. Read more: Jim Jones Leads CMC’s Effort to Grow Colorado’s Trades Workforce
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CMC is Building a Climate-Ready Trades Workforce in Rural Colorado
A recent report from KUNC highlights an innovative partnership between Colorado Mountain College and skilled-trade employers aimed at developing a climate-focused workforce in rural mountain communities. Read more: CMC is Building a Climate-Ready Trades Workforce in Rural Colorado