With an estimated 21 percent growth in jobs through 2022 and 115,000 new workers needed, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration (HVACR) occupations are a great bet for students.
According to a recent, comprehensive series of reports on supply and demand in the HVACR profession from the HVACR Workforce Development Foundation, for which ACTE provided information and feedback, job postings in HVACR advertise salaries of almost $50,000 per year, and these jobs stay open 12 percent longer than similarly skilled jobs. Given this demand, how is our nation developing its supply of HVACR-trained workers?
To answer this, one of the three reports, The Next Generation of HVACR Installers and Technicians, digs into the results of an online survey of HVACR instructors across secondary, postsecondary and union/corporate programs. The findings pinpoint several difficulties that HVACR teachers encounter:
- recruitment challenges
- students that lack key skills
- confusing certification, licensing and degree options
- difficulty keeping current with the industry
- variable quality of employer partnerships
On the positive side, many HVACR students have positive outcomes. For instance, 67 percent obtain professional certifications, while 56 percent are employed in HVACR within a few months of completion. However, these numbers leave room for improvement.
The report concludes with several recommendations:
- Ensure sustained, in-depth and high-quality professional development, including developing a database of qualified HVACR professional development providers and supporting industry involvement in professional development
- Streamline credentials, through the creation of a universal set of standards for a uniform HVACR license and the investigation of alternative routes to the HVACR workforce
- Improve programs and student qualifications, through enhanced work-based learning and aligned standards
Will be great info. I am just getting started just received my certifiation and lookimg forward working with a master so I can move to the next level.
Posted by: Kevin Hough | 10/05/2015 at 04:21 PM