Professional Ammonia Refrigeration Operator Education for Seafood Processors (Pro-AROE)
Fall 2024: AMMONIA REFRIGERATION ASSISTANT OPERATOR 2
Fall 2024: AMMONIA REFRIGERATION ASSISTANT OPERATOR 2
In fall 2023, the Alaska Research Consortium (ARC) partnered with iWorkWise and Alaska Sea Grant to launch a new program in Alaska - Professional Ammonia Refrigeration Operator Education for Seafood Processors (Pro-AROE). Our goal is to provide opportunities for experienced, mechanically skilled employees to become certified refrigeration operators.
In fall 2024, we will offer Level 2 - Assistant Ammonia Refrigeration Operator 2. (If you missed Level 1, you may be able to start at Level 2. See below for details). Registration for Level 2 will open on August 1.
What levels of education will the program consist of?
Three levels of certification including online and in-person elements are planned:
Level 1 - Assistant Operator 1
Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2
Level 3 - Operator
Level 2 will be available in fall 2024 and Level 3 will be available in fall 2025. If you did not take Level 1, you can complete additional online classes and begin at Level 2.
How do I participate and what will I learn?
Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2 course consisted of:
The Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2 in-person class will cover:
A certificate reflecting an individual’s successful completion of the program and skills will be issued at the end of the class and kept on file with the program.
How do I register?
Registration for Pro-AROE Assistant Operator 2 will begin on August 1, 2024. A link to the registration site will be posted on alaskaresearchconsortium.org.
Note: We have one in-person class scheduled for the week of October 14-18th in Kodiak, Alaska. Class size is limited to 25 participants.
What does it cost?
Where will the in-person class take place?
What if I missed Level 1 Assistant Operator 1? Can I enroll in Level 2?
If you missed Level 1 last year, you can still enroll in Level 2 this year. But you must take all of the online modules for Level 1 (six of them) and then take the 6 online modules for Level 2. Once you successfully pass all of these online modules, you will be certified as Assistant Operator 1 and you may enroll in the October Kodiak face to face class.
Can I test out of Level 2 if I have experience or other training?
Not currently. Much like universities have prerequisites for advanced education, for this certification to be most meaningful we need to assure all graduates are not missing pieces of required knowledge. Because much of the training in the industry has been achieved by informal methods, we need to ensure certification provides consistent knowledge and skills, and employers will “know what they are getting” when employing certified operators. We know that experience of current operators is invaluable, however we currently do not have a process to ensure consistency to match this educational program.
What does a certificate from Pro-AROE mean?
Employing a Pro-AROE trained and certified technician means that he or she has completed a program that targets ammonia refrigeration operations in Alaska’s seafood industry. They have been observed and been certified via a hands-on program designed to be relevant and applicable to their workplace.
If a RETA certificate is desired, Pro-AROE will enable an individual to take and pass that test with some additional study. The emphasis for Pro-AROE is different from RETA. Pro-AROE is focused on ammonia refrigeration and types of equipment in use in the Alaska seafood industry. RETA testing covers additional refrigerants, types of equipment used elsewhere, and places more emphasis on calculations rarely used by a typical operator.
Will the certification courses be offered in Spanish, and perhaps other languages?
That is a goal of the program and we do anticipate the courses will be available in other languages in the future. We do not have the funding to do this at this time.
Why should my company (or I) become a member of the Alaska Research Consortium (ARC)?
The Alaska Research Consortium (ARC) is a statewide non-profit organization. Our mission is to:
“Advocate for sustainable fisheries, marine resources, and the blue economy in support of coastal communities into the next generation. ARC focuses on workforce and technology development, training, and research that sustains and increases the value of Alaska's marine resources.”
Development of the Pro AROE program is supported by a Congressionally designated fund proposed by ARC. For more information about ARC, see alaskaresearchconsortium.org
Member benefits include:
ARC annual membership levels:
For more information or if you have questions, please contact Paula Cullenberg, ARC Executive Director at (907) 440-6704 or email [email protected].
In fall 2024, we will offer Level 2 - Assistant Ammonia Refrigeration Operator 2. (If you missed Level 1, you may be able to start at Level 2. See below for details). Registration for Level 2 will open on August 1.
What levels of education will the program consist of?
Three levels of certification including online and in-person elements are planned:
Level 1 - Assistant Operator 1
Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2
Level 3 - Operator
Level 2 will be available in fall 2024 and Level 3 will be available in fall 2025. If you did not take Level 1, you can complete additional online classes and begin at Level 2.
How do I participate and what will I learn?
Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2 course consisted of:
- A series of online training modules, approximately 1 hour each, with an exam at the end of each module. Individuals can re-take the modules and exams as needed. Participants must successfully complete all required modules before the in-person class in October.
- A 5-day, 36-hour, in-person class (October 14-18, 2024) based at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (UAF) and one or more seafood plants in Kodiak.
- Assessment and certification of skills completed in-person by iWorkWise.
- Fundamentals
- Heat Transfer Principles
- Ammonia Safety
- Introduction to Refrigeration Systems & Equipment
- Operator Safe Work Practices
- Documentation, Logs and Recordkeeping
- Compressors
- Vessels, Pots & Pumps
- Evaporators
- Condensers & Purgers
- Detectors & Calibration
- Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs)
The Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2 in-person class will cover:
- Hands-on tear down and demonstrations of inner workings of certain equipment
- Safely managing liquid levels and defrosts
- Control systems
- Troubleshooting
- Differences between ammonia and Freon systems
- Describe the refrigeration cycle,
- Identify all major refrigeration equipment and explain how it works,
- List the fundamentals of working safely around ammonia,
- Start and stop compressors,
- Safely drain oil,
- Safely change plate freezer hoses,
- Safely manage liquid levels and defrosts,
- Test and calibrate fixed and portable ammonia detectors,
- Perform rounds and properly log operations,
- Read Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams (P&IDs),
- Have a basic understanding control systems and troubleshooting
- Understand the differences between ammonia and Freon systems
A certificate reflecting an individual’s successful completion of the program and skills will be issued at the end of the class and kept on file with the program.
How do I register?
Registration for Pro-AROE Assistant Operator 2 will begin on August 1, 2024. A link to the registration site will be posted on alaskaresearchconsortium.org.
Note: We have one in-person class scheduled for the week of October 14-18th in Kodiak, Alaska. Class size is limited to 25 participants.
What does it cost?
- For certified Assistant Operator 1 students, the Level 2 - Assistant Operator 2, online and in-person program is $2,500 for ARC members; $2,800 for non-members.
- For those requiring both the Assistant Operator 1 and 2 certifications, and who did not attend the instructor-led course in 2023, an additional fee of $1,500 for ARC members; $1,800 for non-members will be charged.
Where will the in-person class take place?
- The in-person, 5 day class (October 14-18, 2024) will be based at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center.
- Lunch, coffee, water and snacks will be provided during all in-person class days.
- All other travel and per diem is the responsibility of the participant.
- We have arranged for a block of rooms at the Best Western Kodiak Inn for this week in October. The hotel provides breakfast.
What if I missed Level 1 Assistant Operator 1? Can I enroll in Level 2?
If you missed Level 1 last year, you can still enroll in Level 2 this year. But you must take all of the online modules for Level 1 (six of them) and then take the 6 online modules for Level 2. Once you successfully pass all of these online modules, you will be certified as Assistant Operator 1 and you may enroll in the October Kodiak face to face class.
Can I test out of Level 2 if I have experience or other training?
Not currently. Much like universities have prerequisites for advanced education, for this certification to be most meaningful we need to assure all graduates are not missing pieces of required knowledge. Because much of the training in the industry has been achieved by informal methods, we need to ensure certification provides consistent knowledge and skills, and employers will “know what they are getting” when employing certified operators. We know that experience of current operators is invaluable, however we currently do not have a process to ensure consistency to match this educational program.
What does a certificate from Pro-AROE mean?
Employing a Pro-AROE trained and certified technician means that he or she has completed a program that targets ammonia refrigeration operations in Alaska’s seafood industry. They have been observed and been certified via a hands-on program designed to be relevant and applicable to their workplace.
If a RETA certificate is desired, Pro-AROE will enable an individual to take and pass that test with some additional study. The emphasis for Pro-AROE is different from RETA. Pro-AROE is focused on ammonia refrigeration and types of equipment in use in the Alaska seafood industry. RETA testing covers additional refrigerants, types of equipment used elsewhere, and places more emphasis on calculations rarely used by a typical operator.
Will the certification courses be offered in Spanish, and perhaps other languages?
That is a goal of the program and we do anticipate the courses will be available in other languages in the future. We do not have the funding to do this at this time.
Why should my company (or I) become a member of the Alaska Research Consortium (ARC)?
The Alaska Research Consortium (ARC) is a statewide non-profit organization. Our mission is to:
“Advocate for sustainable fisheries, marine resources, and the blue economy in support of coastal communities into the next generation. ARC focuses on workforce and technology development, training, and research that sustains and increases the value of Alaska's marine resources.”
Development of the Pro AROE program is supported by a Congressionally designated fund proposed by ARC. For more information about ARC, see alaskaresearchconsortium.org
Member benefits include:
- A discount on Pro AROE ($2,500 for ARC members, $2,800 for non-members for Level 2).
- Access to training history and certificates for participating employees and employers.
- Information about upcoming seafood processing workforce training and applied research offered through the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center.
- Your membership helps expand continued seafood workforce training programs and applied research in Alaska. Input provided by members identify priorities for future efforts of the ARC.
ARC annual membership levels:
- Corporate with over 200 employees – annual membership is $1,000
- Corporate with 50-200 employees – annual membership $500
- Corporate with under 50 employees – annual membership $300
- Non-profits, Tribes, government, educational institutions – annual membership $300
- Individual members - $100
For more information or if you have questions, please contact Paula Cullenberg, ARC Executive Director at (907) 440-6704 or email [email protected].