Sacramento, California, USA, 6 September 2018: “If you ask just about any contractor of what their biggest pain point is, they’ll tell you that it’s finding good people to hire,” said Erin McCollum, Development Director, EGIA Foundation, while discussing the need for quality training within the HVAC industry.

Erin McCollum

According to EGIA, 115,000 HVACR workers will be needed by the year 2022. McCollum said: “Skilled workers in the industry are ageing and retiring at a rapid rate. Not only does the industry need more skilled workers, but it also needs more young people to join the HVAC workforce, who are prepared, passionate and committed to making a positive impact.”

Commenting on the factors influencing the HVAC industry, McCollum said, “The industry is greatly influenced by globalisation, environmental regulation and consumer urgency.” This, she said, is what gives rise to the desire for smart spaces, which use innovative applications of IoT. Stressing the need for a skilled workforce, she added: “The use of technology has made the HVAC industry look smart and this will definitely lead to an increase in demand for IoT-enabled system communication; however, to deliver on market demand, there will have to be a rise in the number of skilled persons joining the workforce.”