Skilled Trades

Cooling People Down Is a Hot Commodity

Skilled TradesJuly 24, 2017

Summer officially arrived on June 21, but America has been experiencing warmer-than-usual weather for months. USA Today reported February saw record warm for 145 million Americans living in 16 states, with average temperatures more than seven degrees above average. In April, The Weather Channel said record warm temperatures in the United States were outnumbering record lows by a 5-to-1 margin for the first three-and-a-half months of the year.

A story out of Phoenix in late-June, when temperatures were reaching a scorching 120 degrees in a very air conditioning-reliant region, reported that HVAC technicians were virtually working around the clock to help residents keep their cool. It’s no wonder then that HVAC specialists – especially those who are proficient in the A/C portion of their trade – are in such high demand. 

And it’s not just hot…it’s deadly. 

Granted, we likely won’t have record highs every year, but we’ve become a nation dependent upon air conditioning…even in regions that used to skate through summer by simply letting the breezes cool everyone down. Whether or not the predictions regarding global climate change are true, air conditioning is here to stay for most – if not all – of the country.

Outlook for HVAC Technicians

That means we’re going to need a growing roster of trained HVAC technicians for the foreseeable future. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects we’ll need nearly 40,000 new HVAC mechanics by 2024, and the profession’s job growth will be approximately 14 percent for the next seven years, which is higher than the national average for all jobs.

As Mike Rowe, the star of such TV programs as “Dirty Jobs” and “Somebody’s Gotta Do It” says, there’s a skills gap in America, and those talented enough and willing to take on the challenges will make a decent living filling those gaps…one of which is HVAC technician.

Choosing a Career as an HVAC Technician 

If you’re one of those “hands-on” people who doesn't mind a little hard work and think HVAC might be the right career path for you, nearly 30 Fortis College and Institute campuses in 14 states offer hands-on HVAC educational training programs that can get you started on the path to a job that’s in high demand. Check out our site to learn more and to find the campus nearest you offering an HVAC program.