There are more jobs in America than there are people to fill them, according to a recent news release from HVAC Excellence, a Mount Prospect, Ill.-based non-profit organization created in 1994 to improve the technical workforce of the hvacr industry through quality education.

HVAC Excellence wants to know: Are Americans trained for the jobs available and do they know about them?

Interpreting recent statistics, the jobs shortage we constantly hear about is really a skilled-trade shortage.

Indeed:

• In 2006 -- 22,000 positions for heating, ventilating and air conditioning technicians were unfilled nationwide.
• In 2008 there are 60,000 unfilled positions, ranging from entry-level to senior technicians.
• Over the next 10 years, 30,000 new technician positions will be created annually.
• The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the hvacr industry will grow by 18% to 26% by 2014 and the technician shortage will increase 24% over the next five years.
• HVACR is a $200-billion-a-year U.S. industry.

To do its part to help contractors attract talent, Mechanical Service Contractors of America (MSCA) -- in conjunction with HVAC Excellence; Lincoln Technical Institute; The United Association; Ferris State University; The Partnership for Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigeration Accreditation (PAHRA); and NATE (North American Technician Excellence) -- has developed a new recruitment program: Five Star Careers. The program reaches out to students, parents and guidance counselors to explain the benefits of a career in the hvacr industry.

For some, careers in the hvacr industry aren’t sexy enough or lucrative enough. Your job is to inform them that a career in hvacr can make a difference in the community and globally.

According to Five Star Careers’ Web site, the benefits are:

·        Entering a Highly Skilled Field
Today’s climate systems use an increasingly sophisticated combination of machinery and computers to deliver comfort to building occupants. Those entering the field will be working on complex systems that require a unique combination of hands-on skill and problem-solving intelligence.

·        Abundant Employment Opportunities
There is an immediate need for qualified service technicians as new buildings are being built and older buildings require more service and maintenance. Developing areas of the field, such as indoor air quality and energy efficiency, means a need for more skilled technicians.

·        Large Income Potential
HVACR service technicians earn a great wage and have access to a number of excellent benefits. In a 2005 survey of MSCA Member Contractors, the average base hourly wage was $28.96. In addition, benefits often include health insurance, pension plans, employer-sponsored training, uniforms, service vehicles and tools.

Knowing how to answer objections that the hvacr industry doesn’t offer sound employment will certainly help you address the skilled-worker shortage. After all, your successful business affords you the opportunity to employ folks in the community and help heal the downtrodden economy – how many people can say that?