← Certificate III qualifications
Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
UEE - Electrotechnology
Apprenticeship outcome for licensed refrigeration and air-conditioning work. Required for ARCtick licence.
Entry requirements
- Signed apprenticeship contract
What you will learn
The UEE32220 covers refrigeration and air-conditioning system installation, commissioning and maintenance. Core units include vapour-compression cycle fundamentals, brazing copper pipework, pressure testing and evacuation, refrigerant charging and recovery, electrical connection of single and three-phase units, fault diagnosis on split, ducted and VRF systems, and reading air-conditioning load calculations. You learn to handle refrigerants safely under the Ozone Protection Act and to follow AS/NZS 5149 refrigeration safety standards. Course completion qualifies you for the ARCtick refrigerant handling licence required by all working technicians in Australia.
Skills you build
- Brazing and pressure testing copper pipework
- Evacuating and charging refrigerant systems
- Electrical wiring of single and three-phase units
- Fault-finding on split, ducted and VRF systems
- Reading mechanical services drawings
- Recovering refrigerants under ARCtick rules
- Commissioning air-conditioning to design specifications
How the course runs
Most apprentices attend TAFE in one to two week blocks each term, with the remainder of the time on-job under a licensed refrigeration mechanic. Total formal TAFE contact is around 600 hours over the four years, with a roughly 50/50 split between theory and workshop practice. The final year focuses on system design and commissioning. Course completion qualifies you to apply for the ARCtick refrigerant handling licence.
How you will be assessed
- Practical demonstrations in TAFE refrigeration workshops
- Written knowledge tests per unit of competency
- Third-party reports from your supervising technician
- Brazing and pressure-test demonstrations under workshop conditions
- On-job evidence log book
Workplace and placement
The apprenticeship is a four-year paid workplace contract under the Australian Apprenticeships framework. You sign a Training Contract with an air-conditioning business or mechanical services contractor. Apprentice wages are set under the Electrical, Electronic and Communications Contracting Award and rise each year. Most employers provide a starter tool set and a service van.
Typical employers
- Residential air-conditioning installation companies
- Commercial mechanical services contractors
- Supermarket and food retail refrigeration specialists
- Data centre cooling specialists
- Industrial cold storage and process refrigeration
- Marine refrigeration on fishing fleets and ferries
Pay after this qualification
$70,000 - $95,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/explore-careers/occupation/airconditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanics. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
Is this the right course for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You can work safely with electricity and refrigerants
- You enjoy fault-finding and problem-solving
- You can crawl in roof spaces and confined ducts
- You can deal with customers in their homes politely
- You can manage stock and tools in a service van
It is probably not for you if
- You cannot commit to four years of apprentice pay
- You have a back or knee condition that limits crawling
- You panic under pressure on a hot call-out day
- You struggle with electrical theory and maths
After you finish
After your ARCtick licence you can pursue Certificate IV in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (UEE40220) or Certificate IV in Electrical - Hazardous Areas (UEE42620) for industrial process work. The Diploma of Engineering Technology - Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (UEE50420) opens design and commissioning roles. Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at RMIT, UTS and Curtin offers credit toward a HVAC engineering career.