With the baby boomer generation retiring in droves, HVACR educators are working hard to recruit and train the next generation of technicians. Yet, despite the U.S. Department of Labor predicting the industry will 86,000 new jobs by 2018, many instructors are still battling the misconception that career and technical education begets less career success than a four-year college degree.
Add to that the fact that federal regulatory agencies are churning out new standards at breakneck speed and thrusting technology forward faster than ever before, and it is clear HVACR educators face an uphill battle in supplying the industry with the next generation of competent workers.