Budderfly Partners with Trade Schools to Address HVAC Labor Shortage and Boost Clean Energy Workforce

Budderfly Partners with Trade Schools to Address HVAC Labor Shortage and Boost Clean Energy Workforce
Image credit: Budderfly Website

Budderfly, an Energy as a Service (EaaS) company recognized on the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 lists, is partnering with trade schools across the United States to address the shortage of skilled labor in the HVAC/R industry. The partnership aims to educate and train the next generation of workers on the latest energy technologies, including heat pumps, high-performance HVAC units, and advanced HVAC control systems, helping to build a skilled workforce for the clean energy economy.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 50% decrease in certified HVAC technicians over the past decade due to an aging workforce and insufficient recruitment efforts. With increasing efforts to decarbonize the built environment, the demand for skilled HVAC technicians is projected to grow by 6% annually through 2032, creating nearly 40,000 new jobs each year.

Budderfly's CEO and founder, Al Subbloie, emphasized the importance of workforce development to sustain a clean energy economy: "Our company is growing at a rapid pace, and we are constantly running into challenges to keep up with volume and demand due to a lack of skilled equipment installers. Partnering with trade schools to educate and train the next generation of workers on the latest technology will overcome this barrier, not just for us, but for the industry as a whole."

Jennifer Nunes, National Director of Career Services at Lincoln Tech in Connecticut, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership: "Trade schools don’t always have access to the latest or most innovative technologies and we often have to train students using outdated equipment. Through our partnership with Budderfly, we can better train our students and ensure that they are job-ready and equipped to deliver high-quality work from day one."

Tomokazu Hosoi, president of Fujitsu General America, a preferred equipment provider for Budderfly, highlighted the importance of a skilled workforce: "A skilled workforce is essential to maximize the benefits of energy-efficient technologies and to meaningfully reduce carbon emissions. Initiatives like this partnership with trade schools are crucial in helping develop the expertise needed to operate and maintain these advanced solutions effectively and for a long time."