2026 Industry Partners Forum: Workforce and Regulatory Change Top the Agenda
HRAI recently joined leaders from AHRI, ACCA, HARDI, NATE and PHCC for the 2026 Industry Partners Forum, bringing together major North American HVACR associations to discuss shared industry priorities, workforce development and the changing regulatory environment.
These discussions provide HRAI with an important opportunity to look beyond Canada, compare approaches and identify emerging trends that could affect our members.
Two issues stood out this year: workforce capacity and growing regulatory complexity.
Building the Workforce for What Comes Next
Across North America, the HVACR industry is being asked to manage significant technological, regulatory and market change. New equipment, refrigerants and energy-efficiency requirements are entering the market at the same time that the industry faces continuing challenges recruiting and developing skilled workers.
The challenge goes beyond replacing retiring technicians. When experienced people leave the industry, we also risk losing decades of technical knowledge, mentorship and practical experience.
The Forum explored where the next generation of HVACR workers will come from, how we can accelerate competency development, and what roles manufacturers, distributors, contractors, educators and industry associations should play.
Participating associations highlighted an impressive range of existing programs. NATE, ACCA, PHCC, HARDI and AHRI are supporting the industry through technician certification, apprenticeships, online and in-person training, scholarships, leadership development and partnerships with schools.
For HRAI, that raises an important question: where can we add the greatest value in Canada?
The answer will not necessarily be creating more stand-alone programs. In some cases, there may be opportunities to adapt proven resources for Canada, connect existing programs with Canadian training systems, or bring industry, educators and governments together where genuine gaps exist.
HRAI also shared our ongoing skills-gap readiness work, which is examining practical technician competencies and how we can identify and address gaps in the Canadian market.
As this work develops, we need to be clear about the problems we are trying to solve. These could include gaps in available training, inconsistent competency assessment, fragmented credentials, employer participation and insufficient alignment between industry, governments and educational institutions. The answers may also differ considerably by province.
This will be a long-term challenge, but one that is fundamental to the industry's future.
Navigating a More Complex Regulatory Environment
The Forum also reinforced the growing complexity of the North American regulatory landscape.
Refrigerant transitions, tariffs, energy-efficiency requirements, PFAS regulations, building codes, electrification policies and extended producer-responsibility programs are evolving—often differently from one jurisdiction to another.
For companies operating across Canada and the United States, differing requirements can affect product availability, equipment design, training, installation practices, reporting and compliance costs.
Because the Canadian and U.S. HVACR markets are closely integrated, HRAI will continue monitoring developments on both sides of the border and advocating for regulatory alignment where it makes sense for Canadian industry. At the same time, Canadian climate conditions, codes, credentials and market realities must remain part of that discussion.
Advocacy Producing Results
HRAI also shared a recent example of coordinated industry advocacy delivering tangible results: the June 30 furnace tariff relief achieved following advocacy by HRAI and its members.
The outcome addressed tariff restrictions affecting certain furnace imports and demonstrated what can be accomplished when member evidence, industry expertise and government relations come together around a clearly defined problem.
Trade and tariff issues will remain important as the industry continues to navigate changing measures affecting steel, aluminum, copper and other products, as well as future developments related to the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trading relationship.
Looking Ahead
The Industry Partners Forum reinforced that many of the challenges facing HVACR are bigger than any one association or jurisdiction.
For HRAI, the opportunity is to learn from what is working elsewhere, collaborate where it makes sense, avoid unnecessary duplication and develop distinctly Canadian solutions where they are required.
Most importantly, workforce development and regulatory policy cannot be considered separately. New technologies and new requirements can only succeed if our industry has enough qualified people with the skills and competencies to install, commission, maintain and service the systems entering the Canadian market.
That connection will continue to shape HRAI's work in the years ahead.
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