Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, April 2, 2018
(INDIANAPOLIS) - State and business leaders joined employers from the HVAC industry Thursday night for an event hosted by the Indiana HVAC Association at Primo Banquet and Conference Center to discuss the future of the Hoosier workforce.
A workforce panel weighed in on how technology is changing the need for workers, how education reform is impacting solutions and what training is available for Hoosiers. The panel consisted of Blair Milo, Indiana Secretary of Career Connections and Talent; State Sen. John Ruckelshaus; Steve Lain, CEO of Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis (BAGI); Mike Murphy, Publisher of The NEWS (National HVAC Trade Publication); and David Cross, Director of Career Services at Fortis College.
"Great people are what make great companies," said Brian Schutt, president of the Indiana HVAC Association. "For too long our industry hasn't communicated the great opportunity and career that can be held in heating and cooling, and we're changing that."
According to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development (DWD), 67 percent of high school graduates go off to college. However, more than 40 percent never graduate and just accumulate debt and have to start over.
"Building and skilling up Indiana's workforce to meet the demands and challenges industries like HVAC face is a top priority for DWD," said Milo. "Innovative initiatives like Next Level Jobs and WorkIndiana are among the many resources that can help, and online applications like IndianaCareerReady.com are designed to bring employers and job seekers together. We are excited about the many possibilities that the new Apprenticeship initiative will offer students and career-minded adults."
Indiana has a reputation of being a business-friendly state and has an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent, which is far below the national average of 4.1 percent.
"As the baby boomer generation begins to retire and more companies commit to growing or locating to Indiana, we must have the talented workforce in place to fill these jobs," Ruckelshaus said. "Having skilled workers for these high-demand, high-paying jobs is critical to our success as a state."
To find out more about the Indiana HVAC Association and to find a HVAC contractor near you, visit www.hvacindiana.org.
About HVAC: Is a non-profit organization to better the HVAC industry in the State of Indiana. The association's main function is to promote, educate and motivate the HVAC contractors of Indiana to use sound and ethical business practices. By doing this, the Indiana HVAC Association is looking out for the best interest of the HVAC industry and Hoosier consumers.
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