KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Who says young people do not want to be a part of the HVACR industry? Amidst the 5,600 vocationally-inclined individuals competing in 94 contests at the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, there were 58 in the HVACR event. That was the largest number ever to take part in the HVACR competition.
They had come through local, state, and regional events to reach the national stage. They had committed to sometimes long travel to get to Kansas City, Mo., for five days of meetings and activities. Then they spent eight hours being tested in brazing, refrigerant recovery, and air measurement, as well as servicing of air conditioning, heating, refrigeration, and geothermal equipment — all under the eyes of judges from the manufacturing, wholesaling, and trade association sectors. That day-long hands-on testing in Bartle Hall at the downtown Kansas City Convention Center was preceded by a written exam.