The HVAC workforce is greying. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that by 2012 there will be a shortfall of nearly 3 million skilled workers in America. By 2020, that number — for manufacturing-related industries — is expected to reach 10 million. According to Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. (EMSI), the average age of American skilled workers is 55 years old, and a recent Gallup poll revealed most Americans are retiring by the age of 62.
For HVAC, which boasts an aging workforce and has struggled for years to recruit new talent, these trends are problematic.