In the Air - HRAI Industry News

By Abhilash Kantamneni, Director of Government Relations, HRAI 

One thing HRAI has heard loud and clear from members, at chapter meetings, on calls, and in conversations at industry events, is how much the residential HVACR workforce is being asked to adapt – and quickly. Demand for heat pumps is changing and, in many parts of the country, growing fast. 

Residential contractors are being asked to adopt new technologies, work with government programs, scale up their workforce, and meet rising expectations from homeowners. At the same time, workforce systems, training pathways, and licensing enforcement – many of our HRAI members feel - are not always keeping pace. 

The consequences are predictable. Inconsistent installation quality. Safety concerns. Frustrated homeowners. And added pressure on contractors who are trying to do the work right. Over time, these dynamics undermine confidence in heat pumps as a technology, in the industry delivering them and in the public programs supporting them. 

Doing nothing is NOT a neutral option. Doing nothing hurts our members and reflects poorly on the industry as a whole. 

So then, what should HRAI do? HRAI’s approach to the residential HVACR workforce starts from a few core principles. 

First, the work must be done by competent, qualified, and licensed professionals. Residential HVACR work happens in people’s homes, and we cannot compromise on safety, comfort, or system performance and reliance. 

Second, our existing workforce is the backbone of this transition. Licensed professionals who want to learn new skills need to be supported through structured, paid upskilling. A skilled HVACR workforce is a public good.  

Third, the responsibility for growing and strengthening the residential workforce should not be left to contractors and the industry to absorb on their own. It must be shared across governments, industry, regulators, utilities, and training systems. The approach to workforce training has to be evidence-based. We need to be able to monitor and understand what’s working, what isn’t, and be willing and able to course-correct. 

From this foundation, we at HRAI see three practical pathways forward. 

First is upskilling the existing workforce, and that has to start with identifying real skills gaps. HRAI completed this work in Ontario in 2025 and is now doing the same in Atlantic Canada. If you install or service residential heat pumps in Atlantic Canada, you can take part in a paid online survey (between Feb 16 to March 30, 2026) to help inform this assessment and earn $100 for your time. The same skills-gap assessment will also be coming to British Columbia later this fall. Once skills gaps are clearly identified, closing them must be supported by public investment in practical, on-the-job learning and technology-specific training that reflect the realities of residential installation and service work. This upskilling supports public policy objectives and should be treated as a public good, not a cost borne by contractors and companies alone. 

Second is responsible lateral entry from adjacent trades, such as gasfitters or oil technicians. This must happen through structured, licensed pathways that lead to proper qualification. No shortcuts. 

Third is attracting new entrants through clear residential career pathways that lead to full qualification and long-term careers. For many, residential HVACR can be a destination career and an opportunity to bring in people from non-traditional backgrounds. 

No single pathway is enough on its own. Together, they offer a way to grow capacity while protecting quality, safety, and professionalism. 

All of this can happen without compromising the integrity, rigor, or effectiveness of existing commercial HVACR training programs. This work should be done without shortening, weakening, or bypassing commercial apprenticeship requirements. HRAI stands firm that industry standards must be maintained and enforced. 

We’ve laid this out in more detail in a new HRAI discussion paper on the residential retrofit HVACR workforce. We’d really like to hear your thoughts. Please send me a note with your feedback at akantamneni@hrai.ca.