British Columbia Heat Pump Skills Gap Assessment

As part of its Bridging the Skills Gap for Heat Pump Proficiency project, HRAI has conducted a Skills Gap Assessment in Ontario and in Atlantic Canada. The goal of this research has been to assess where existing technicians working in the field are in their understanding of, and proficiency in working with, residential heat pumps. As the residential HVAC workforce in British Columbia is different from Ontario and Atlantic Canada, the previous research findings cannot be applied automatically to the needs in BC.

To fully understand the existing knowledge and skill levels of residential HVAC technicians working in the region, especially as they relate to modern heat pump technologies, there is a need to engage directly with those doing the work, regardless of their existing licenses.

The assessment process is based upon the Heat Pump Curriculum framework previously developed by a panel of industry experts as part of Bridging the Skills Gap project. The comprehensive technical skills assessment tool evaluates confidence levels and existing knowledge across key competencies that are important to the installation and servicing of heat pumps. The assessment includes approximately 200 questions and takes roughly two hours to complete.

Participants must register to participate in this research but, to eliminate any concerns about confidentiality, registration information is kept entirely separate from the evaluation data that will come out of the process, which means the research findings will be completely anonymous. Those who are eligible to participate and who complete the assessment in its entirety will be compensated for their time.

The inputs gathered from participating technicians will help HRAI and other stakeholders with an interest to understand the current state of the existing workforce – their readiness from a skills and competencies perspective and any potential skills deficits that will impede their success with emerging and increasingly prevalent technologies.

A report on the findings will be produced and available for the industry, government and others.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Meyer, Project Manager, or Abhi Kantamneni, Director, Government Relations.