Female Rising Star Award winner, Shayne Boyle, began her career as a refrigeration mechanic and now has her sights firmly set on becoming a field engineer.
She has worked on everything, from domestic splits through to large ammonia chillers and also completed two years of an Electrician Certificate IV which was cut short due to the birth of her first child.
But now that she is working at Heatcraft as a branch manager, Boyle said she is getting an even broader set of skills learning everything from sales through to engineering.
“I am in a position now where I can nurture my skills as a mechanic and further my studies to become a field engineer,” she said. Ask Boyle to list highlights in her HVACR career and she is passionate about everything.
“Every repair, every install, every day. I love my job,” she said.
“Stripping a compressor for rebuilds, even pulling down chillers for tube cleans, there isn't much I don't like.”
Boyle was initially attracted to the varied nature of HVACR. “It is such a varied field and also a very important one. People outside of the industry don't realise how it keeps the world running,” she said.
“Another plus is that there are no boundaries of locality, where there are people, there is HVACR so we can work anywhere.”
What are the biggest challenges facing the industry right now?
“We really need to upskill general technicians out in the field especially on the current refrigerant phasedown and the availability of replacements,” Boyle said.
“There are a lot of unskilled technicians out there who are giving the industry a bad name. Sure they are licensed but not skilled, whether it is a simple leaking flare or mismatched components in a coldroom, it is bad for the trade.
“We need a more consistent Cert III and a nationally recognised licensing system as well as Cert IV for those that want to expand their career. This would be a good start.”
Boyle believes there is also a need for more public education. “We need to educate the general public on the subject of maintenance so they are aware of the savings they can achieve and reduced running costs,” she said.
If you were the president of the world of HVACR what would you change?
“I would police existing license holders to raise industry standards and improve compliance,” Boyle said. “I would also encourage everyone to look outside the box and understand that there is never only one solution.
“And most importantly, remind everyone to be happy and to enjoy their job. Don't just do your job, live it.”
Award sponsor, ABB Australia, presented Boyle with her award. The company's business unit manager for drives, Mike Briggs, congratuled Boyle for taking out the female category.
"We would also like to congratulate the other finalists on being recognised by their industry peers for being Rising Stars," he said.