Baby Boomers and HVAC

In approximately three years, the first of the baby boomer generation will begin to retire. With such a large portion of the American workforce phasing out of every imaginable industry, the younger generations must consider the implications on our own lives. This paper will focus on the future, as I envision it, of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry, and how it will affect technicians who are still in the early stages of their careers.
In a business that has already had a very hard time recruiting people, the loss of key personnel could prove devastating to many companies. As long time, highly skilled employees say goodbye, employers will have to deal with replacing them with much less experienced candidates. Advertising, hiring, training and then finally utilizing these new members of a given company will take considerable amounts of time, energy and money. All of which will only be profitable if the new employee proves to be capable and reliable enough to last awhile.
As a technician in the field the most notable effect of this will be demand. Long days, hectic schedules and consistently heavier workloads will be almost impossible to avoid. Unemployment in our industry will plummet for even the most unskilled techs and installers. Anyone who takes the time now to train themselves and develop skills will be able to enjoy job security in ways previously unheard of.
One of the most valuable tools on any job is experience. Even the most complicated troubleshooting problem can easily be solved by someone who has seen the same thing before. With the retirement of the baby boomers, uncountable years of experience and practical skills will be lost to our community. Having a problem with an electrical system? Put your phone down and figure it out yourself, because the guy you have been calling for help with this stuff is fishing. Need some information on that new thermostat? Remember the fishing thing.
Those of us who have already been involved in our trade for a few years will begin to see advancement opportunities opening up everywhere. Positions from project manager to lead man to purchaser will fall onto our collective shoulders. As fewer and fewer of the older workers will be available, the “generation Xers” will find little competition for the newly open jobs. The benefit of a few years experience needs no explanation in a field where practical skills are so valuable.
As manpower comes into greater demand, and the workload increases on existing personnel, technology will have to begin playing an even more important role than it does now. Building automations, remote operated control systems, will enable technicians to make minor adjustments via the Internet without having to drive to every jobsite. The ability and technical know-how to operate and utilize this technology will be of great value to any employer. Anyone capable of performing these tasks along with the common technician responsibilities will be virtually guaranteed a job with all but the smallest of companies.
While many of these changes may appear to be rather negative for entry-level personnel, we must consider the financial compensation. Right now, HVAC/R technicians are the most sought after tradesmen in the country. Take a look in just about any newspaper classified section and you will see a disproportionately large amount of ads seeking techs. People do not want to live without heat, air conditioning or refrigeration, and they are willing to pay for those things. Since the pool of qualified people who can install, maintain, repair and replace this equipment is shrinking, the cost is growing rapidly. In an already lucrative career, we can expect to see ourselves profit tremendously.
To summarize, I believe the retirement of the baby boomer generation is going to affect the HVAC/R industry in many ways. While some of these effects will result in our being greatly overworked and often over extended, those of us who continue to develop new and better skills will see a very comfortable future.