The Workforce is Evolving – Is your Company Prepared to Attract the Technicians of Tomorrow?

The nationwide HVAC technician shortage has been one of the great hurdles our industry has been navigating in the last few years. To add to the challenge, our battle-tested veterans are aging out of the workforce and retiring, leaving us even more short-handed as the demand for our services grows year after year. Is there a solution without working our remaining techs around the clock?

Yes – Gen Z techs are on the way!

Growing Trade School Enrollment

More Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are choosing the trades and that is good news for us.

According to a recent report on the topic, from the research firm Validated Insights1, enrollment in trade schools is projected to grow at a rate of 6.6% per year from 2025 to 2030.

Even more notable, Gen Z makes up almost 60% of all trade school enrollees now and is expected to be almost 30% of the workforce in 2030.

Why are Gen Z choosing the trades in such great numbers?

Trade schools have always been a reliable option to begin a career path. But the increasing enrollment numbers now are due to changing concerns of our younger generations.

According to a survey from Zety2, an online resume template service, more younger workers are choosing the trades to find careers with a faster entry into the workforce, more job opportunities, along with greater flexibility and independence.

And where they see a career path that fits their needs, we see technicians of the future!

How do we attract the best and brightest of these new techs?

Gen Z is certainly different. They have unique sensibilities and they need to be approached in new ways that weren’t necessary for other generations. But, they are also incredibly intelligent and hard working, and it’s important to learn how to appeal to them to recruit them to your team.

According to a survey by Deloitte3, one of the most important factors that Gen Z workers are looking for in their careers is meaning in their work.

More than 4 out of 10 Gen Zs report that their work is a core component of how they view and define themselves. Because work is such a significant factor in their personal identities, many are seeking a sense of purpose in their chosen careers.

Maximizing average job tickets and upselling isn’t necessarily the identity they want, so it’s important to showcase and instill the values that make the HVAC industry essential to modern life.

What does all this have to do with marketing?

Marketing is not just about getting the phone ringing with new installation leads.

Marketing is the act of communicating your offerings to build relationships. It’s through marketing efforts that we can help communicate to the technicians of tomorrow the value that we can provide them in this industry, and most importantly, why they should choose to come work for your company.

So, are you ready?

1. CarrdTrade School Market Insights September 2025
2. Zetyzety.com/blog/genz-reroute-report 
3. DeloitteDeloitte Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey 2025