In the past few months, the world put on the breaks to combat the pandemic spread. Many areas are recovering but to maintain the forward movement, methods have needed to change. Business models across the board, in every industry, have adapted to the new way of doing things. Those industries that are most necessary have had to do the most adjustment to keep everyone comfortable & safe. Field services like appliance repair have adapted out of that same necessity, and Fred’s Appliance Academy along with it.

Home appliances are seeing more use than ever as families stay home together, and that means a greater need for certified appliance repair technicians. Whether you are the handiest person in your household or preparing for safe no-contact field services, new appliance technicians are always in need. As instructors and experienced field technicians ourselves, we quickly saw the need for high-quality online courses for appliance repair. You might not be able to come to our classrooms, but we can take the classroom experience to you. 

As Field Technicians, We Built an Appliance Repair Learning Platform

The teaching staff here at Fred’s has always been manned with experienced field technicians. We have honed both appliance repair and teaching it down to a science here in the classrooms and flats. Our students have come to and from all over the world. But now that travel and classroom learning is cautionary, we temporarily stopped courses for the safety of students. But we haven’t been asleep. Technicians never fully kick back, we always find something to fiddle with.

As technicians, we put 50 field experience to finding an online way to teach appliance repair. The challenge wasn’t online learning, but providing enough detail and lab time to be confident in each student’s full understanding and final ability. We also wanted the platform to be useful for problem solving and learning to troubleshoot – not just memorize part lists.

What we achieved is a clean, comprehensive platform that pairs a responsive knowledge base with self-paced lessons, online practice labs, and live technician instructor support. Our unique approach includes detailed breakdowns of components, diagnostics, schematic reading, and pro instructors on-tap. 

A Responsive Appliance Repair Knowledge Base

Learning appliance repair starts by understanding the units and their component parts. Performing appliance repair starts with troubleshooting based on symptoms. Both require a responsive way of accessing information – so that’s how we built the knowledge base. We noticed that most appliance guides are whole-process videos, but that’s not really what you need in the moment. The Fred’s Appliance Academy  learning platform can jump to the appliance, component, or process you need, or explore the whole unit in methodical order.

Much of the knowledge base is illustrated with moving gifs, which are a clear and lightweight alternative to embedded video. You can also find full-process videos that jump right to the step in question.

The repair learning platform also includes a troubleshooting interface, finding the solution to appliances based on the symptoms you will encounter in real home repair situations.  Whether you are looking for a specific part or how to diagnose appliance symptoms, you can find the answers and jump directly to the piece of information you need without having to skim. 

Online Practice Labs for Appliance Repair

Another key element of Fred’s coursework is hands-on experience with working appliances. Lab work is essential for confirming recent learning with your senses, and enacting a repair process can lock that knowledge in better any flash card. Labs also help us confirm that students fully understand the process and remember each safety precaution along the way.

Since we can’t provide that to students in-person right now, we’re focusing on the lab experience. Online labs can simulate a real appliance so that students can put their book-learning into live-action learning. You can tackle practices independently or work with an experienced technician instructor live through the platform. 

Appliance Repair Certification through Online Coursework

The final piece is online learning that’s good enough to prepare new technicians for their certificate. Becoming a certified in the types of appliance repair means you can put out a shingle or join a certified team of local technicians. And with great credibility first comes great learning.

Fortunately, teaching appliance repair courses is what we do best as a team. Fred’s Appliance Academy coursework was refined into guided online lessons that you can take at your own pace. One of the great advantages of online learning is that students can learn when they are both available and focused on class. With expert-built material, you can guide yourself through the courses, explore the knowledge base, and try out the labs. 

Live Appliance Technician Instructors

Fred’s instructors are field service pros who have specialized in teaching fellow technicians the ins & outs of new methods. Instead of leading classrooms, we’re live and remote, ready to provide interactive guidance to online students. While you can take the courses and labs at your own pace, you can also get direct access to an instructor throughout.  Any time you want to ask a question or consult on a solution, our team of technician instructors will be available for support. In this way, we aim to empower self-learners and provide the same quality of instruction that we can give in the classroom.  

Courses Available Through the Platform – Free Demo to Explore

Building each comprehensive course takes time, and some of our online courses are not yet ready for prime time. Currently, coursework includes certification for electric dryers, gas dryers, and a combination course of both. We have also opened up a demo course so that you can explore the platform before investing in a class. Fred’s Appliance Academy’s classrooms may be closed, but enrollment is open. Learn appliance repair from home through a platform built on 50 years of field technician experience.

Want to find out more? Contact us to talk about your plans and how Fred’s online coursework could be your path to online appliance repair certification.