Over $500,000 in federal funding is supporting an HRAI initiative to identify and address the skills gap for heat pump proficiency in the industry.
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Recognizing a demand for greater upskilling of existing HVAC technicians across Canada to improve the proficiency of heat pump installations nationwide, the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning institute of Canada (HRAI) applied for and has received over $500,000 in federal funding to support the association’s efforts to identify the skills gap, work with colleges to develop training and initiate a pilot program with a small group of licensed technicians in Ontario.
Announcement was made on Tuesday, August 13th, with Julie Dabrusin, MP for Toronto-Danforth (also parliamentary secretary to the minister of environment and climate change and to the minister of energy and natural resources), and Tony Van Bynen, MP for Newmarket—Aurora, gathered at Canco ClimateCare in Newmarket, Ont., a local HVAC shop and HRAI member company.
Company owners Nancy and Bob McKeraghan provided a tour of their facility, and two of their installation/service technicians Dalton and Kevin provided an in-house demonstration of a static pressure test on a ducted heat pump installation.
The $500,000 funding for HRAI’s project comes from the federal government’s Low Carbon Economy Fund’s Implementation Readiness Fund stream and the federal Toward Net-Zero Homes and Communities program.
“This program is going to help identify the skills gap and within a year be able to put into effect programming to help people meet that skills gap, so that we’re making sure that these heat pumps are being installed properly, being commissioned properly, and that people feel more comfortable and have more knowledge about these products that are going to become more and more a part of our lives as we move forward,” said Dabrusin.
“I applaud the government for supporting the industry, in terms of recognizing that there is a gap and they are going to help us narrow that gap,” said Nancy McKeraghan, at the event.
“This project will identify specific skills deficiencies and the education the current workforce may need to support today’s (and tomorrow’s) heat pump technologies. It will inform employers and training providers
in the industry about needed training development and will help focus apprenticeship efforts for in-the-field experience,” said Martin Luymes, vice president, government and stakeholder relations, HRAI.
HRAI is currently working on the intake of technicians to undergo the analysis to identify the gaps that exist, and from that colleges will work to develop the training required. The association hopes the programs will be in the field in a year from now.
According to a government release, as of 2023, 7% of Canadian homes are using electric heat pumps as their primary heating system, one in four Canadian homeowners is planning to replace primary heating
systems in the next five years, and 300,000 heat pumps were shipped to Canada in 2021, 20% more than gas furnaces.
The Canada Green Buildings Strategy, launched in July, aims to accelerate retrofits of existing buildings and it also highlights the $800 million Canada Greener Homes Affordability program to assist low- to
median-income Canadians, including tenants, by providing home retrofits including heat pump installations at no cost. Complete details of that program are expected by the end of 2024.
