MRCOOL®, LLC emphasizes a model connecting educators, employers, manufacturers and future technicians for building America's skilled workforce
As demand for HVAC technicians grows and employers across the heating and cooling industry compete for skilled workers, the technology those workers install and service continues to evolve. MRCOOL explores trade-school partnerships, apprenticeships, hands-on equipment training and simpler technology as part of a new model.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects approximately 40,600 HVAC job openings for mechanics and installers per year through 2035. This demand is driven by 11% employment growth (much faster than the average for all occupations) as well as the need to replace workers who retire, change occupations, or decide to leave the workforce for various reasons.
MRCOOL is responding with a workforce model that connects educators, employers, manufacturers and future technicians before they ever enter the field. They’re asking: What if the industry spent as much energy developing technicians as it does trying to recruit them?
We keep talking about the skilled-labor shortage as though somewhere there's a huge group of experienced technicians waiting to be hired. There isn't," said Jason Ingram, Managing Member of MRCOOL, LLC. "If we need more skilled people, then we have to give more people a realistic way to become skilled. That means getting manufacturers, contractors and schools involved earlier and giving someone who wants to enter this trade a path they can actually see.
A Workforce Problem That Can't Be Solved With Job Postings Alone
For HVAC contractors, labor constraints are particularly painful during periods of extreme heat and cold, when service calls increase and experienced technicians’ schedules are full. But the longer-term challenge extends beyond seasonal demand.
BLS reports that HVAC technicians typically encounter substantial periods of on-the-job training after being hired. Increasingly complex climate-control systems are also expected to contribute to additional employment demand.
That means the industry needs a structured and repeatable way to move people from career interest and classroom instruction to supervised field experience and, ultimately, technical independence.
Our model connects four groups that have traditionally operated somewhat independently: educators, employers, manufacturers and future technicians.
Trade schools and community colleges can provide foundational education. Contractors can provide mentoring and field experience. Apprenticeship programs can create defined development paths. Manufacturers can provide hands-on exposure to the equipment and technology technicians will likely use once they're working in the field.
There's a tendency to look at workforce development as somebody else's job. It’s the school's job, the contractor's job or the student's responsibility," said Bonnie Clymer, Chief Marketing Officer of MRCOOL, LLC. "But the strongest workforce is going to come from connecting those pieces. A student should be able to see where the classroom leads, meet the people doing the work and get their hands on the technology they'll eventually be expected to understand. That's when a job starts looking like a career.
From Trade School to the Jobsite
MRCOOL has put that philosophy into practice through its partnerships with Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) and SUNY Delhi's Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC/R) programs, providing students with hands-on exposure to residential and commercial HVAC systems.
The collaboration was designed to bridge a gap in technical education. Students often understand HVAC fundamentals in an educational setting, but with equipment-specific experience they are better prepared to enter the workforce.
Heat pumps, inverter-driven systems, smart controls, new refrigerants and other innovations are creating opportunities for manufacturers to make installation and service processes more intuitive for technicians, while also changing the skills and knowledge required of them.
For Ingram, workforce development and product innovation are connected.
Technology should not make skill irrelevant," Ingram said. "When we remove unnecessary steps or design equipment that's easier to understand and install correctly, we're giving technicians more time to focus on the parts of the job where their judgment and experience really matter.
MRCOOL develops and designs technologies. Patented innovations such as Pre-Charged Quick Connect® Line Sets simplify the process by reducing unnecessary installation steps so technicians can focus on more complex work.
MRCOOL's Contractor Fulfillment Program helps technicians adapt to evolving customer expectations and labor demands with approximately 885 contractor members.
Apprenticeships Offer Another Piece of the Workforce Puzzle
The U.S. Department of Labor identifies Registered Apprenticeship as a workforce-development model that can help employers recruit and develop skilled workers, create occupation-specific training and improve worker retention.
For HVAC employers, the apprenticeship concept also offers valuable structure.
Instead of hiring an inexperienced worker as a general helper, contractors can establish milestones for the first 30, 60 and 90 days and beyond. They can cover safety, tools, documentation, supervised field work, customer communication and technical responsibility.
Making the Skilled Trades Visible to a New Generation
Young people can't pursue careers they’re not aware of. Partnerships among manufacturers, contractors and educators can provide students with earlier exposure to modern HVAC careers and what they actually involve.
This generation is growing up surrounded by technology, but we don't always do a good job showing them that the skilled trades are technology careers," Clymer said. "Today's HVAC technician is working with inverter technology, electronics, controls, energy efficiency and increasingly sophisticated systems. We need to tell that story better. There are many young people who would thrive in this industry if someone showed them what's possible.
A National Challenge With Local Solutions
The HVAC industry's response may ultimately be built one community at a time. One contractor developing a relationship with a technical school, an experienced technician mentoring an apprentice, a manufacturer putting equipment into a training lab and one student discovering a career they hadn't previously considered could make all the difference in the future workforce.
For contractors already struggling to fill positions, Ingram argues that the shift requires strategic, long-term thinking.
The companies that excel are going to be the ones that learn how to grow talent,” Ingram said. “If we can make the path into HVAC clearer and give people the tools to succeed once they're here, we can build something much more sustainable than another hiring campaign.
For an industry responsible for keeping homes, schools, hospitals and businesses comfortable, building that workforce has implications far beyond HVAC itself.
The technicians America will need a decade from now are entering classrooms, considering careers and learning trades right now.
Is the industry ready to meet them there?
Frequently Asked Questions
How many HVAC job openings are there per year in the United States?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects approximately 40,600 HVAC job openings for mechanics and installers per year through 2035. This demand is driven by 11% employment growth, much faster than the national average, plus retirements and career changes.
Why is there a skilled-labor shortage in the HVAC industry?
The shortage stems from retirements, career changes, and insufficient structured training paths. This situation is complicated by increasingly complex equipment that requires longer on-the-job training after hiring.
What is MRCOOL's workforce development model?
MRCOOL's model connects four groups: educators, employers, manufacturers and future technicians. Trade schools provide foundational education, contractors provide mentoring and field experience, apprenticeship programs define career milestones and manufacturers like MRCOOL provide hands-on equipment training. The goal is a practical path from classroom instruction to technical independence.
How do HVAC trade school partnerships work?
HVAC trade school partnerships pair manufacturers with technical programs to give students hands-on equipment experience. MRCOOL partners with Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) and SUNY Delhi's HVAC/R program, providing direct exposure to residential and commercial HVAC systems that bridges the gap between classroom fundamentals and jobsite readiness.
What is a Registered Apprenticeship in HVAC?
A Registered Apprenticeship is a U.S. Department of Labor-recognized program that gives HVAC employers a structured way to train new workers. Contractors set milestones at 30, 60 and 90 days and beyond, covering safety, tools, documentation, supervised field work, customer communication and progressive technical responsibility.
How is HVAC technology changing the skills technicians need?
Today's HVAC technicians work with heat pumps, inverter-driven systems, smart controls, new refrigerants and energy-efficiency standards. Manufacturers like MRCOOL design innovations such as patented Pre-Charged Quick Connect® Line Sets to reduce unnecessary installation steps, letting technicians focus on more complex work.
How can young people start a career in HVAC?
Enroll in a trade school or community college HVAC program, then pursue apprenticeships or employer training for supervised field experience. Manufacturer-contractor partnerships like MRCOOL's Contractor Fulfillment Program, with approximately 885 contractor members, help technicians adapt to evolving customer expectations and labor demands.
Is HVAC a good career?
Yes. HVAC is one of the fastest-growing skilled trades, with approximately 40,600 annual U.S. job openings and 11% projected employment growth through 2035 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The role now includes inverter technology, electronics, smart controls and energy-efficiency systems, offering strong demand and structured advancement through apprenticeships.