Andrew Ferguson
Workforce Development Manager, HRAI
Martin Luymes
Vice President, Government & Stakeholder Relations, HRAI
Canada’s climate goals can only be met by a huge new crop of highly skilled (and highly paid) HVACR technicians.
How we heat and cool our homes in Canada is changing. If we manage this transition well, we stand to secure a huge, and much-needed, climate win. But there’s one big challenge standing in our way. Canada’s HVACR (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration) workforce is aging and retiring. And even those still early in their careers remain primarily skilled for fossil fuel solutions like traditional gas heaters. Transitioning to the high-efficiency heat pump technology that will dramatically reduce our carbon footprint requires both a massive influx of new HVACR talent, and a concerted upskilling campaign for existing tradespeople.
“For the last 100 years or more, the preferred way of heating in Canada has been fossil fuels,” explains Martin Luymes, Vice President of Government and Stakeholder Relations for the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI), Canada’s national HVACR trade association. “As a consequence of that, close to 20 per cent of global warming gas emissions in our country are the result of how we choose to heat homes and buildings. We know we can cut those emissions from what they are today to close to zero just by replacing existing fuel burning appliances with heat pumps.”
Reinventing our heating and cooling infrastructure is a big job
Heat pump technology has been around for many years. Recent developments, however, have seen huge advancements in the efficiency, capability, and affordability of these systems. Modern heat pumps can provide both heating and cooling, moving heat from inside to out, or extracting heat from the outdoor environment even during the deep freeze of the Canadian winter. All at a far lower energy cost than other electrical solutions.
Close to 20 per cent of global warming gas emissions in our country are the result of how we choose to heat homes and buildings. We know we can cut those emissions from what they are today to close to zero just by replacing existing fuel burning appliances with heat pumps.
In concert with the greening and expansion of the electricity grid, Canada has set a goal of converting every home and building in the country to a non-fossil fuel heating solution by 2050. That is a whole lot of highly skilled (and well-paid) work that will need to be done by HVACR technicians in the coming decades.
New skills for existing talent, and unlimited work for new talent
An independent report from Buildforce Canada estimates that the increase in demand for HVACR technicians will range from 200 per cent to 1000 per cent over the coming years, depending on province. The report also highlights the need for many existing technicians to reskill for heat pump installation and maintenance.
“Upskilling existing technicians will protect the longevity of their jobs over time as the demand for gas fitting decreases,” says Andrew Ferguson, Workforce Development Manager at HRAI. “Unfortunately, there’s still a knowledge gap around heat pumps among many companies and contractors out there. We’re working on identifying the extent of that gap and we’ve recently started a program called Heat Pump Champions, which encourages contractors who have all the required licensing and training to get verified and vetted through HRAI. Consumers need to know who they can trust to do this work.”
High skill, high pay, and high impact
With a great many existing HVAC technicians retiring or reaching the end of their careers, however — especially given that the industry tends towards early retirement due to strong earning — the need for young blood is also paramount. To this end, HRAI gives many dedicated Career Ambassadors an opportunity to promote and encourage young Canadians to consider careers in HVACR.
Fortunately, the young generation has already woken up to the opportunity the trades represent for quick entry into a stable, high-earning career. And they’re already wary of spending years accumulating debt at university only to face uncertain career prospects upon gradution. New HVACR technicians frequently earn $50k or more while still in training or apprenticeship, and considerably more once apprenticeship is completed. And in a dynamic trade like HVACR, positioned to grow and evolve with Canada’s changing infrastructure needs, young technicians will always have work, and that work will always be interesting.
“HVACR involves a wide variety of skillsets, including plumbing, electrical, sheetmetal, gas fitting, air conditioning, and refrigeration,” says Ferguson. “It’s highly skilled and that’s why it’s such a lucrative trade, why it pays so well. You put in the work and you get the reward.”
Saving the world is a trade
A career in HVACR is undeniably a solid path to job security and financial independence, but the biggest motivator for Canadian youth may be something else altogether. Though industries like energy, transportation, and agriculture draw a lot of attention as places where an influx of driven young talent can have a huge impact on the planet’s climate future, the truth is that the reinvention of our heating and cooling infrastructure is one of the biggest untapped reservoirs of positive climate change.
“A lot of young people, especially teenagers, are facing an existential question, asking themselves what they can do with their lives that will make a climate difference,” says Luymes. “This is a strong career option for them.”
Canada has committed to building a sustainable future, and that future will be built in large part by tradespeople. It will be built by the HVACR technicians of today, and by those of tomorrow.
Visit hvacrcareers.ca to learn more.
