Budderfly teams up with trade schools to strengthen clean energy workforce

Budderfly is teaming up with trade schools across the United States. The partnership will address the shortage of skilled labor in the HVAC/R industry.

Budderfly is an Energy as a Service (EaaS) company in the United States. The company has been recognised on the Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies list from 2021 to 2023 and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list in 2023. 

Al Subbloie, CEO and founder of Budderfly, highlighted the importance of workforce development to sustain a clean energy economy: 

"Concerted efforts must be put toward workforce development if we are to sustain a clean energy economy. Our company is growing at a rapid pace, and we are constantly running into challenges to keep up with volume and demand due to a lack of skilled equipment installers.

“Partnering with trade schools to educate and train the next generation of workers on the latest technology will overcome this barrier, not just for us, but for the industry as a whole. We look forward to preparing the next generation of workers for long, thriving careers.”

The Bureau of Labor Statistics in the USA reports a 50% decrease in the number of certified HVAC technicians over the past decade due to an ageing workforce and insufficient recruitment efforts. As efforts to decarbonise the built environment increase, the demand for skilled HVAC technicians is projected to grow by 6% annually through 2032, creating nearly 40,000 new jobs each year.

Through this partnership, Budderfly will invest in state-of-the-art energy technologies, including heat pumps, high-performance HVAC units, and advanced HVAC control systems. Trade schools will provide hands-on training, helping to build a skilled workforce for the clean energy economy.

Jennifer Nunes, National Director of Career Services at Lincoln Tech in Connecticut, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership:

 “Partnering with Budderfly is a transformative opportunity for our students. Trade schools don’t always have access to the latest or most innovative technologies and we often have to train students using outdated equipment.

“Through our partnership with Budderfly, we can better train our students and ensure that they are job-ready and equipped to deliver high-quality work from day one.”

Tomokazu Hosoi, president of Fujitsu General America, a preferred equipment provider for Budderfly, emphasised the importance of a skilled workforce:

 “A skilled workforce is essential to maximize the benefits of energy-efficient technologies and to meaningfully reduce carbon emissions.

“Initiatives like this partnership with trade schools are crucial in helping develop the expertise needed to operate and maintain these advanced solutions effectively and for a long time.”