Better Ways to Work: Challenges and opportunities for the HVAC workforce of tomorrow
This presentation looks at the potential for capacity building in the workforce responsible for managing and maintaining commercial buildings. The HVAC&R workforce is crucially important for delivering the energy transitions required to meet global climate change commitments, yet they are largely invisible. This presentation draws on insights gained through a two-year interdisciplinary project delivered by researchers at the University of Wollongong, in partnership with the Australian government, and AIRAH, FMA, AMCA and AREMA. Looking beyond technical competencies, the talk emphasises the role that soft skills and informal knowledge-sharing networks play in the sector. Such skills are critical to delivering building energy transitions, yet they are continuously overlooked in policy domains, including those focused on climate, employment, and the built environment. The presenters will consider both the challenges and opportunities for the HVAC workforce of tomorrow.