Heating Up the Workforce - Connecticut

Heating Up the Workforce

Apprenticeship Ratio Changes; Partnerships Needed to Meet Consumer Demand, Lower Costs

By Jenn Jennings

Amid the legislative session opening last month, Connecticut is grappling with a number of public policy issues that will not only impact our short-term needs, but also our state’s long-term economic success and ability to compete. Investment in our transportation infrastructure is long-overdue; the pandemic exposed the need for improved air quality and filtration in our schools and workplaces; and climate change advocacy and use of more eco-friendly energy has strained our state’s electric grid, fueling the need for greater energy efficiency and a smaller carbon footprint.

There are positive signs – and investments – that demonstrate the state is trying to address these challenges. Tens of millions of federal dollars are flowing into the state to fix roads, repair bridges and modernize public transportation. In September, Governor Lamont announced that $150 million in state funds – supplemented with an additional $165 million in federal Covid relief funds – will be made available to upgrade aging and inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in our public schools. Last year, Connecticut Innovations – the state’s venture capital arm – created a $100 million ClimateTech Fund to attract private equity investment and grow green technology innovation here at home.

Despite these positive developments, the state still faces headwinds. That’s because addressing these challenges will require a qualified workforce of skilled tradespeople – construction, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, etc. – and there’s a well-documented shortage of qualified talent for these roles in Connecticut. Our workforce in the trades is graying and retiring in great numbers, and the next generation is ill prepared to fill the void, leaving thousands of potential job openings in Connecticut.

The skilled trades gap, however, is entirely self-inflicted by the state-restrictive apprenticeship hiring ratio, which allow only one apprentice to be hired for every three licensed individuals at a company. Among dozens of trade-based careers, this hiring ratio only applies to five – heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and sheet metal workers. By comparison, the state’s job site ratio – designed to ensure workplace safety and adequate training -- requires one licensed professional to supervise an apprentice while on the job. Eliminating the restrictive hiring ratio to match the 1:1 job site ratio will continue to protect safety and adequate training of the industry while promoting workforce development, meeting consumer demand, servicing existing clients and growing Connecticut business.

Connecticut’s hiring ratio is among the most restrictive in the nation and puts the state at a competitive disadvantage, particularly compared to neighboring states. While I

applaud Connecticut’s investment in its technical high schools, we risk losing young, trained talent to nearby states where apprenticeships are easier to secure.

The impact of Connecticut’s current hiring ratio is regulating competition, fewer apprentices, higher prices and longer wait time for Connecticut consumers. An August 2022 survey of Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractors Association members found that nearly one-third (32%) had stopped accepting new business because they lacked the staffing capacity to meet demand.

To meet growing consumer demand, we need to ensure we’re building that pipeline of talent – and providing the necessary on-the-job apprenticeships. Skilled trade careers can be a pathway to meaningful economic stability for many state residents, particularly for youth in our state’s economically-challenged urban centers.

According to average annual salary figures from Indeed, Connecticut ranks fourth nationally in pay for trade-based careers. In comparison to the cost of a four-year college degree -- where the average federal student loan debt was $37,574 in 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics – apprenticeship allows students to earn income while being trained and provide a direct path to employment.

Based on data from 453 TurboTax users who reported their occupation as HVAC Technician the average salary for an HVAC Technician in Connecticut is $62,500 per year. https://mint.intuit.com/salary/hvac-technician/ct

Nationally, Payscale.com August 2022 data shows the following about the average salary for an HVAC technician: For entry-level HVAC techs, the average annual base salary is $48,400, or $23.27 per hour. For intermediate HVAC technicians with 2-4 years of experience, the average rises to $58,100, or $27.93 per hour. Connecticut salaries reflected north of the average. https://www.servicetitan.com/blog/hvac-technician-salary

A recent survey of Connecticut Heating & Cooling Contractors Association members suggests the pay scale is higher, with apprentices hourly rates ranging from $20 - $27 an hour and licensed-holders earning $28 - $54 an hour. Even pre-apprentice opportunities for students from Connecticut Technical High Schools provide a $15+ hourly wage while working part-time.

Trade-based careers and apprenticeships can – and should -- play a key role in leveling the playing field and providing economic mobility, while helping Connecticut improve its transportation infrastructure, public health, energy, and create its carbon-neutral future. But that means removing the barriers to apprenticeship and eliminating the hiring ratio.

Jenn Jennings is the Executive Director of the Glastonbury-based Connecticut Heating and Cooling Contractors Association