Like the rest of the manufacturing sector, the HVAC industry is feeling the effects of the skilled labor shortage. Whether you’re a small shop or a large HVAC manufacturer, there are steps you can take to help grow your own professional staff and the skilled labor pool as a whole. Here are a few trends in recruitment that will continue to be important in 2019.

Offer real-world experience

At Modine, we see our internship, apprenticeship, and co-op programs as a pipeline for bringing talent into our company. Modine interns don’t sit in cubicles doing paperwork. They receive hands-on, experiential training across several departments and get paid.

This approach accomplishes two things. It lets the students find out if a career in thermal management manufacturing is right for them. It also lets us identify talented individuals and offer them good-paying jobs right out of college or technical school. You can incorporate this approach into your own business and build your own pipeline.

Provide training

As Baby Boomers retire, it’s becoming harder to find potential employees with experience in the HVAC field. Many companies in the HVAC industry are tackling the problem by hiring straight out of technical school and providing experiential training in-house. These businesses create learning facilities so new recruits can get their skills up to speed before they interact with customers. Investing in your employees upfront also builds their loyalty, making them more likely to stay with you in the long run.

Modine is committed to providing informative training for HVAC professionals. Modine University encompasses product training at our corporate headquarters and manufacturing locations. But if you can’t come to us, we can come to you. Our Innovation Tour travels to locations around North America for on-site training and continuing education.

Focus on tech

Through research and innovation, our units are becoming more sophisticated every day, and our field as a whole is becoming more computer-dependent. While we know better, HVAC may not be seen as a high-tech industry by younger generations. When recruiting, emphasize the increasing tech aspects of HVAC to help build interest.

Modine is committed to building the HVAC industry and making it a strong source of employment for years to come. This is a solid, lucrative career choice for young people. If you are interested in our Modine internship program, just visit our careers page.

The photos in this blog are from when Modine teamed up with Marquette University students to test a new way to save energy. Read our full story about the project here.