November, 2018 - EGIA Foundation
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The EGIA Foundation is Introduced to an EPIC Crowd

The EGIA Foundation is Introduced to an EPIC Crowd

Weldon Long, EGIA Foundation Trustee and New York Times bestselling author, introduced the EGIA Foundation to an enthusiastic crowd of industry leaders and businesses at the EPIC2018 Conference. Speaking to a crowd of over 400+, Weldon posed the question, “How concerned are you at the lack of qualified labor within the industry?” To which 68% responded “Extremely Concerned.”

“The EGIA Foundation is taking the lead in addressing one of the most serious threats to the industry: the labor storage” said Long. “Focused on promoting HVAC as a first-choice career through a unique coalition of industry stakeholders, this organization is devoted to building the workforce through initiatives including public outreach, mentorship programs, scholarships and employment opportunities. Through this work, the EGIA Foundation is ensuring the industry can meet labor demands well into the future.”

It is undeniable that the HVAC Industry is experiencing a considerable deficit of interested and suitable workers. By their own admission, 64% of high school students believe that HVAC is not a career that would make a parent proud. Unfortunately, often unjustly so, these careers are viewed as substandard or undervalued.

Yet, HVAC is a necessity. Without it, our lives and livelihoods would by seriously impacted. The EGIA Foundation was created to change the rampant negative perceptions in the general public as well as, supporting new and existing HVAC professionals through guidance, mentoring, and job recruitment resources.

It’s time to take on the challenge of reversing the misconceptions created by those outside the industry and develop a sustaining workforce made of each successive up-and-coming generation. Let’s bridge the HVAC employment gap together and start generating tomorrow’s workforce today.

Weldon Long walks the walk. . . . At EPIC2018, Weldon donated his time and his new book, Consistency Selling, to raise almost $10,000 worth of much needed funding for the EGIA Foundation. Those who donated at EPIC2018, received a copy of Consistency Selling personally signed by Long and the EGIA Foundation Industry Study, Bridging the HVAC Employment Gap.

A Message from the Chairman

It is my pleasure to introduce you to the EGIA Foundation. The EGIA Foundation is a nationwide, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that is dedicated to promoting the home services trades and residential HVAC as a first-choice career option.

Everyone in the home services industry knows about the employment shortage being faced. The EGIA Foundation’s first endeavor was to take a closer look into the awareness and perceptions plaguing the industry by commissioning a comprehensive study performed and analyzed by Decision Analyst. Bridging the HVAC Employment Gap takes up the subjects of awareness and familiarity of high school students and their parents about HVAC as an industry and as a career. This publication reports on the learning achieved from a broad-sweeping research study of contractors, educators, manufacturers, and distributors in addition to high school students and parents.

It’s not just about research, the EGIA Foundation wants to change the perception of HVAC from a backup plan to a first-choice career. We’re actively working to understand it and take steps toward resolving it.

This upcoming year promises to be very exciting. Initially, the EGIA Foundation will be launching a public awareness campaign, through the use of educational videos that will focus on driving improved awareness of careers, job availability, and opportunities for success in the HVAC industry. Next, we will be releasing the Career Hub, a resource site that will connect entry-level workers with job creators.

We are privileged to support our industry by bringing better awareness of HVAC and its career opportunities. The EGIA Foundation could not do this without those who have sponsored or contributed. Thank you to our community of corporate and individual donors.

Sincerely, Bruce Matulich