Latin America. Four professionals share their experiences and impressions after completing the NATE (North American Technician Excellence) certification cycle at the Technical Foundations Academy (AFT).
The NATE certification was established in the United States in 1997 to assess knowledge in the field of air conditioning. In this way, NATE guarantees the application of the good technical practices required by the different manufacturers worldwide. This is what some of the professionals who completed the certification on August 10 told us:
Gildardo Yáñez (Mexico)
"I am currently the Technical Training Manager at Bohn. I live in Mexico, a country that not only shares a region with Latin America, 
but also the constant practice of making our industry better and better. This certification is, without a doubt, a personal achievement, but one that takes on true meaning when it is put at the service of training others and the industry. I am convinced that the right path for good practices is that together we promote keeping our sector up to date".
Carlos Humberto Giraldo (Colombia)
"I thank God and my family for this new achievement. This process was a fantastic experience and being able to obtain NATE certification was a 
great challenge, but everything can be achieved with perseverance and dedication. In these 25 years in the HVAC/R sector, obtaining this certification is very satisfactory, in addition to international recognition. Another engine that drove me to this was the company I work for, Inserim Aire S.A, where I have been working for 22 years and is where I have been professionally trained. I thank the AFT Technical Foundation Academy for their academic support through the instructors and directors, so that we could obtain this certification international".
Diego Alviar Lujan (Peru)
"I am general manager at Save
HVAC Peru. I am 36 years old, happily married with 2 beautiful children and I am a native of the city of Ica, Peru. I studied at the University of San Luis Gonzaga in Ica. Since university I really liked subjects that were related to thermodynamics. In 2012, after some work experiences, I began to create a company in this area to date. The training with the AFT Technical Foundations Academy, in the NATE certification process, has been very good. It has helped me to consolidate concepts that are normally left aside and to establish a network of contacts with whom we can to share technical situations that enrich us together in the search for a solution. With this certification, I hope to contribute more to the HVAC sector in Latin America."
Jhoan Sebastian Collazos (Colombia)
"I am a materials engineer from the Universidad del Valle and a refrigeration technician. I completed a
diploma in air conditioning projects and I am currently proud to have the NATE certification. 6 years ago, I created Collazos Bajocero, which focuses on the design, installation and maintenance of air conditioning systems in Cali, Colombia. I am grateful to the AFT Technical Fundamentals Academy for bringing NATE certification to Latin America and strengthening HVAC knowledge in our country. NATE certification allows the technical professional to live up to North American standards. The certification process was challenging, but with the curriculum and the accompaniment of the teachers, the necessary knowledge can be obtained for accreditation with quality and with very good results."
