HVAC Industry Looking To Meet Demand For Young, Skilled Workers

Have you ever considered a career in the HVAC industry? The outlook for HVAC jobs is very good. The demand for HVAC and other skilled trades–truck drivers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics, etc.–is growing as the baby boomer generation moves on to retirement.

That’s why these industries are aggressively competing for the attention of millennials: the 18-to-34-year olds who are typically ethnically diverse, well educated and tech-savvy. The Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration News has a very good article this month outlining the industry’s efforts to attract younger workers to meet a demand for jobs that the U.S. Dept. of Labor expects to grow by 21 percent over the next decade, almost double the national average rate for job growth in all occupations.
“By 2018, it is estimated that 86,000 new jobs will be available in the HVAC industry,” said San Diego Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association Executive Director Danielle Dorsey in an interview with ACHR News. “Careers in this industry provide excellent pay and lifelong employment, and, best of all, they produce portable skills and cannot be outsourced.”
As we know, a four-year college degree is not for everyone (and these days it usually takes more than four years to earn a bachelor’s degree). The downsides are whopping student loan debt and a “prison-sentence” of being chained to a desk for years, paying those loans off.

That’s why we’re encouraging young people to take a second look at the trades career path. There are opportunities for paid apprenticeships, and trade education can take much less time than a regular college degree. You’ll be out of school and earning good money quicker.

HVAC is a challenging career that will keep you continually engaged–every year, the technology gets more and more sophisticated. If you like to troubleshoot complex systems, this is a career for you! You get to spend time outdoors, work with your hands, and enjoy the satisfaction of helping others. No “cubicle prison” with this kind of job!

Check out this short video from one of our favorite advocates for the trades professions: Mike Rowe.