More young Australians choosing cool careers

The automotive sector is driving a boost in the number of young Australians pursuing refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) as their career of first choice, reflected in the latest licensing data released by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC).

Over the past five years, both Refrigerant Handling Licences (RHLs) and Refrigerant Trading Authorisations (RTAs) have experienced significant increases.

During the past financial year alone, RHLs surged by a remarkable 14 per cent, exceeding 10,000, much of which was from increased demand in the automotive sector. This movement is further reflected in the RTA numbers, which saw a 10 per cent increase, adding nearly 2000 new authorisations.

Another key indicator of growth is the substantial rise in classroom training licences, obtained by over 3211 young people in the past year, indicating a strong pipeline of future technicians entering the workforce.

“We hear about a skills shortage and a lack of new people entering our industry, but these figures give us evidence to prove the RAC industry is actually growing,” said ARC chief executive officer Glenn Evans. 

Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Training Alliance (RACTA) co-host Paul Wright confirmed that the figures reflected the experience of training organisations. 

“ARC’s data shows us that people are getting the message that ours is a good industry to be in and we are seeing that in our classrooms around Australia,” he said.

The trend can be attributed in part to the ARC’s consumer marketing campaigns. By highlighting the value of licensed technicians and businesses, initiatives such as Look for the Tick have raised awareness among consumers about the growing need for qualified professionals to install and maintain increasingly sophisticated systems in a rapidly evolving industry, prompting them to consider careers in the field for themselves or their children.