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Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Fact Sheet

Essential skills are skills that help you to perform the tasks required by your trade and other activities of daily life. They provide the foundation for learning other skills, and made it easier for you to adapt to workplace change. Different trades can require different Essential Skills. The Fact Sheet lists the reading, writing, calculating, thinking and interacting skills that are used in a particular trade. Many of these are needed during your apprenticeship, especially during in-school technical training. The Fact Sheet describes the difficulty level for many of the skills. Look for a number beside the tasks. The levels range from 1 (easier) to 5 (harder). Levels of difficulty, where indicated, have been determined by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC). If you want to see whether you have the necessary Essential Skills to do well in in-school technical training, you can complete the Self-Assessment Checklist and the Essential Skills Exercises for a particular trade. Contact the Apprenticeship Branch at (204) 945-3337 or 1-877-978-7233 (Toll Free) for more information.

Reading Text

HRSDC Level of Difficulty

Read labels or product information

Read technical bulletins, WHMIS, TDG and MSD sheets 2-3

Read webpages and computer-based manuals 2

Read installation instruction or manufacturer’s requirements 2

Find information in service, safety, operating and other manuals 2-3

Read contract documents, schematics, sketches, 2 specifications and technical manuals Read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, sketches, 4 specifications and technical manuals Read regulations and legislation; (health and safety, OHSA, 4 ASHRAE, WHMIS & TDG) Read and interpret building codes and standards, such as Refrigeration, 4 Electrical & Gas Acts, codes, legislation, regulations & specifications

3

Use of Documents

HRSDC Level of Difficulty

Understand symbols 2-3

Read measuring devices (eg. test equipment, gauges, meters, etc) 1

Read notes (eg. sequence of operations) 2

Read information in completed forms 2

Read tables, charts and catalogues 2

Read and interpret engineering drawings, schematics, sketches, 4 specifications and technical manuals Read and interpret different types of permits 3 Read and interpret local fire codes and safety legislation 3

Writing

HRSDC Level of Difficulty

Write lists or notes for oneself and others 1

Complete times cards, permit requests and forms (eg. repair orders, 2 invoices, maintenance or inspection forms and material requisition forms) Maintain log books, ledgers and records 2

Maintain service documentation

Make sketches, schematics and diagrams 3

Write incident, service and other reports 3

Math

HRSDC Level of Difficulty

Perform basic mathematical operations (calculating materials, bill and costs, etc) 2-3

Estimate time, materials, and labour as a job progresses 1-2 Calculate using whole numbers, fractions, percentages, decimals and averages 2

4

Measure precisely with tools and devices 2

Measure from scale drawings

Estimate size and dimensions (eg. rough-in dimensions) 2

Perform conversions (e.g., between metric and imperial and different specifications, etc.) 2-3

Calculate area, volumes, perimeters and dimensions 3

Calculate with angles, vectors and trignomic constants 3

Calculate pressures and loads 3 Calculate ratios and proportions 3

Calculate using a variety of formulas 2-5

Calibrate measuring devices 3

Oral Communication

HRSDC Level of Difficulty

Speak with and listen to suppliers, customers and laypeople 1

Speak with and listen to jobsite personnel (other trades persons, 1-2 supervisors, owners, engineers and inspectors)

Give and receive verbal instructions and supervision 1-2 (including teaching apprentices)

Participate in meetings 2

Describe critical safety issues 3

Explain and listen to required processes or flow of activities

Provide feedback on quality of work

5

Thinking

HRSDC Levels of Difficulty

Identify something according to a specific criteria or characteristic

Compare and contrast different products and processes for a specific situation in light of cost effectiveness

Relate drawn images to concrete objects

Select appropriate tool, equipment or process for a given situation 2

Schedule job and work flow

Organize and retrieve information

Decide on appropriate course of action in a given situation 2-3

Organize materials, time and people to complete a task 3

Memorize details and procedures 3

Integrate information from multiple sources to troubleshoot a problem 3

Establish priorities and precedence

Make decisions for problem-solving and trouble-shooting (potentially in a high-risk situation), combining a variety of complex factors

Computer Use

Use computer-controlled diagnostic equipment

Use interface equipment such as computers, microprocessors and hand-held modules Use DDC (direct digital controls) and programming methods

Use word processors

Use spreadsheet applications

Use internet browsers

Use e-mail

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In order to do well in technical training, Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanic apprentices should also be able to…

Study and Test-Taking

Take notes during a class

Read textbooks and learning materials

Highlight important information in notes, books or other learning materials

Ask questions of the instructor and other students

Participate in small group discussions

Get information from demonstrations

Study for tests

Write multiple-choice tests

Manage time and assignments

For Information contact these Apprenticeship offices or call Toll-free from Rural Manitoba 1-877-978-7233 Winnipeg 1010 – 401 York Avenue, R3C 0P8 204-945-3337 - Fax 204-948-2346

The Pas 305 – 4th Street West , R9A 1M4 Box 2550, 204-627-8290 - Fax 204-627-8137

Brandon 102, 340 – 9th Street, R7A 6C2 204-726-6365 - Fax 204-726-6912

Thompson 118 – 3 Station Road R8N 0N3 204-677-6346 - Fax 204-677-6689