Through its E360 Forums, Emerson Climate Technologies Inc. offers all links of the HVAC supply chain an opportunity to discuss the future of the commercial refrigeration industry. The latest forum was held Feb. 18 in Atlanta.

Qualified HVAC technicians are desirable commodities, so when HVAC contracting owners get their hands on good techs, they’re willing to go to great lengths to keep them in their uniforms.

Danfoss hosted its 21st annual press briefing Jan. 26 during the 2016 AHR Expo in Orlando, Florida. Titled “Engineering Tomorrow,” this year’s briefing explored four major challenges facing the HVACR industry — climate change, energy productivity, connectivity, and a growing skills gap.

Efforts like the ‘Ride and Decide’ program in Tennessee are providing a much needed bridge between high school students and rewarding careers they may not have otherwise known were available.

North American Technician Excellence (NATE) is hoping the development of two new exams — a job-readiness certificate exam and certification-level exam for less experienced technicians — will provide a pathway into the industry or to a professional-level certification for new or less-experienced technicians.

Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, Florida, has become a de facto testing ground for a unique student training program that Direct Energy plans to roll out nationwide over the course of 2016.

While online training may have initially been scoffed at by seasoned technicians, it’s now becoming a quality complement to community colleges, tech schools, and apprenticeship programs. And, as more and more options present themselves, HVACRedu.net remains a reputable place for contractors to turn for online education.

Could sponsorship of sporting events be a way to gain the interest of young people and perhaps increase their awareness of the opportunities available to them in the HVACR industry? For example, with college football bowl season approaching, I’m thinking the industry should look into uniting to sponsor a bowl game.

What if, instead of a prospective star athlete sitting at the podium, it was a potential HVAC technician? Would this drum up interest in HVAC? What if the industry treated its future prospects as the stars that they are?