Amid icebreakers, sponsor booths, and roundtables, attendees listened to five primary speakers who each addressed a specific aspect of women in the business world.

And for women seeking a career in the skilled trades, it’s a win-win situation: reliable work and a job market that’s starved for talent.

Women represent an untapped resource for the HVAC industry — an industry that is in desperate need of more workers. It starts with getting the younger generation of women interested in these subjects.

Before I entered the HVAC industry in 2006, I didn’t even realize the industry existed. I was fortunate to land a job at a company that is one of the leading residential HVAC contractors in our area, and I learned quite a bit from my several years there.

MILWAUKEE – In 1974, Penny Yonan Padgett was asked by a friend to fill in for her as a receptionist at an HVAC company. Forty-four years later, she is still in the industry, having worked her way up to territory manager for YORK® and another manufacturing division of U.S. Air Conditioning Distributors. “I was one of the pioneers,” said Yonan Padgett. “HVAC is my life and my passion.”

In the HVAC industry, the further up the employment chain you look - the less women that occupy key roles. This is something we see industry wide, with some reports stating that just 3 - 4 percent of CEOs worldwide are women.

The Women in Energy Association launched a new website: wewomeninenergy.com. The website supports the group’s mission to connect and empower women working in the energy industry. They do this by providing career resources, creating networking and mentoring opportunities, promoting educational courses, and developing strategies to minimize obstacles women may face in the industry.

CHICAGO – Women in HVACR (WHVACR) held a Meet & Greet event for members and friends Tuesday night during the AHR Expo. The event was held at Margaritaville at Navy Pier.