Diversity in HVAC Industry Occupations
Diversifying Vancouver’s coolest green jobs: heat pump installers
The heating, cooling, and ventilation (HVAC) industry is growing in leaps and bounds
Report at a glance
With government incentives, new regulations, and increased needs for cooling because of climate change, heat pumps and related heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) services and equipment have never been in greater demand. And yet, this sector is in a hiring crisis – at the same time as it remains out of step with Vancouver’s tremendous diversity.
With the support of the Vancouver Economic Commission (VEC) and the City of Vancouver, the BC Centre for Women in the Trades undertook new research and developed a guide to baseline diversity in the HVAC industry, along with tools to help increase that diversity.
In this report:
- Current and projected labour pool gaps
- Other challenges related to construction and HVAC workers
- Comparisons of major policy drivers of change in the HVAC trades
- BCCWITT’s labour market and industry survey results
Plus: A best practices guide for companies looking to successfully attract and maintain a diverse workforce
Key Findings
Current and projected labour shortage
The construction and maintenance industry in British Columbia is facing a current and growing skilled trades labour shortage and these workers are critical to the success of the climate agenda.
Homogenous labour force
Women comprise an average two percent of the workforce across HVAC-related trades, such as plumbers, gasfitters, and refrigeration technicians, and the provincial government estimates only 9.1 percent of journeypersons between 2008–2017 were non-white or mixed-race.
Build a safe and accessible workplace
Recruiting under-represented tradespeople into a company is only the beginning. Diverse tradespeople can face toxic work cultures, bullying, harassment, and no peers to connect with once employed. It is critical to build workplaces where people will want to stay.
Be part of the green economy
Recruiting diverse candidates – including youth – also means telling the story of a company’s impact in the world. As heat pumps and other HVAC solutions are critical to decarbonizing buildings, companies should leverage their climate story, and get involved in relevant networks.
Diversity in HVAC Industry Occupations: Labour Market Assessment
Plus, a guide to hiring
Build a safe and accessible workplace
Business as usual is no longer an option in this labour-constrained economy. Learning how to hire and retain more diverse candidates is critical to staying ahead of current and projected workforce and labour gaps, especially as climate action drives more and more activity in the HVAC industry.
Learn how to market for diverse candidates, build an internal culture of safety and welcome for them, and tell your story as a key green economy actor to attract new and motivated workers.
Credits
Project Team
Karen Dearlove, Alyicia Guile (BCCWITT); George Benson (VEC); Brady Fought (City of Vancouver)
Editorial & Design Support (VEC)
Ingrid Valou, Nicholas Wells, Claire Campbell, Mike Lai
Publish Date
September 6, 2023
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Vancouver’s Zero Emissions Economic Transition Action PlanZEETAP aims to help businesses and individuals address challenges related to the just and equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy.
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BC Heat Pump Technology Attraction StrategyThis strategy helps identify the availability, needs and gaps of heat pump technologies in BC.
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Green Building Design & ConstructionVancouver benefits from a long history of innovation at every stage of the green buildings value chain; including manufacturing, design, installation, maintenance and deconstruction.