Manufacturers, 70-Plus Schools Partner to Train HVAC Workforce on Heat Pumps

A California program called Heat Pump Ready is working to close a knowledge gap among HVAC technicians when it comes to heat pumps, the electric systems that both heat and cool a home. Run by TECH Clean California, part of a broader push to install 6 million heat pumps statewide by 2030, the program trains HVAC instructors on modern, high-efficiency heat pump equipment and gives qualifying schools up to $8,000 in heat pump equipment for classroom use. Manufacturers including Daikin, Fujitsu, LG, and Mitsubishi help run the training.

So far the program has trained around 127 instructors at 79 school sites, with equipment funded at 72 California schools. A third round starts this August, raising the equipment grant to $15,000 and adding training on heat pump water heaters, with manufacturers A.O. Smith, Bradford White, Eco-Logical, and LG joining in. Organizers say the effort matters because many technicians still work mainly on older equipment and mistakenly believe heat pumps don't perform well in cold climates, even though newer models can operate well below zero.

For homeowners, this doesn't create a new rebate or program to sign up for, but it points to a broader shift: as more schools update their training, more technicians entering the field should be better prepared to install and service heat pumps correctly. A similar effort, Penn Heat Pump Pathways, has launched in Pennsylvania with state funding, suggesting other states may follow with their own training programs as heat pump demand grows.