Workforce Development
R-TRADEOur Solutions
Our Initiatives
Our Initiatives
At NASRC, Workforce Development is R-TRADE
R-TRADE: Refrigeration Technician Recruitment, Advancement, Development, and Education
Our nationwide workforce development program aims to combat the critical shortage of refrigeration technicians by providing needed recruitment, training, and retention programs to build a sustainable and skilled technician workforce. By fostering a skilled technician workforce, this program meets the grocery refrigeration industry’s immediate needs while equipping technicians to enable a smooth transition from HFCs that will pave the way for a sustainable and resilient industry.
Why Workforce Development?
The grocery refrigeration industry faces an increasingly critical technician shortage. There aren’t enough refrigeration technicians to keep up with essential operations, let alone enable the widespread transition from HFCs.
The shortage has led to demanding, unsustainable schedules, causing some technicians to leave the field, further exacerbating the workforce shortage. Moreover, limited training opportunities on natural refrigerant technologies are further bottlenecking the industry’s ability to swiftly transition from HFCs. To build a sustainable technician workforce, the industry must address technician recruitment, training, and retention.
Our Solutions
R-TRADE takes a three-pronged approach to addressing the refrigeration technician shortage:
Recruitment
Increase awareness and support for this career path through youth and adult engagement to build a robust pipeline of refrigeration technician candidates.
Training
Increase access to comprehensive training on refrigeration and advanced refrigeration technologies to train over 14,000 technicians.
Retention
Identify and promote best practices, technologies, and other support mechanisms to increase the number of existing technicians who remain in the refrigeration trade.
Workforce Development Assessment
NASRC conducted an assessment to evaluate challenges and opportunities to grow the technician workforce. This report outlines data-driven findings and recommendations to improve technician recruitment, training, and retention.
Key recommendations from the assessment include:
- Improve pre-recruiting and recruiting strategies
- Focus on retention
- Increase training opportunities
- An industry-wide effort is needed
Our Initiatives
Technical Training Program
Our Technical Training Program is designed to provide comprehensive, vendor-neutral, and customized training to meet the needs of your technicians. NASRC Training Director Rusty Walker will travel to your location and conduct the natural refrigerant training that meets your needs.
Our Initiatives
Technical Training Program
Our Technical Training Program is designed to provide comprehensive, vendor-neutral, and customized training to meet the needs of your technicians. NASRC Training Director Rusty Walker will travel to your location and conduct the natural refrigerant training that meets your needs.
Natural Refrigerant Training Summit
The Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series provides free comprehensive training for refrigeration technicians on the latest CO2 and propane technologies. Participating technicians have access to concurrent training sessions from multiple manufacturers and industry experts all in one place.
Natural Refrigerant Training Summit
The Natural Refrigerant Training Summit series provides free comprehensive training for refrigeration technicians on the latest CO2 and propane technologies. Participating technicians have access to concurrent training sessions from multiple manufacturers and industry experts all in one place.
R/HVAC Faculty Training Program
With support from the SoCal Gas Climate Champions Grant, we launched a train-the-trainer pilot program to provide R/HVAC school faculty and instructors with compensated online and field training on supermarket refrigeration and CO2 refrigeration systems. The program’s purpose is to equip faculty to expand their curriculum and prepare students to excel in a refrigeration career.
R/HVAC Faculty Training Program
With support from the SoCal Gas Climate Champions Grant, we launched a train-the-trainer pilot program to provide R/HVAC school faculty and instructors with compensated online and field training on supermarket refrigeration and CO2 refrigeration systems. The program’s purpose is to equip faculty to expand their curriculum and prepare students to excel in a refrigeration career.
R-TRADE Advisory Committee
A coalition of industry leaders committed to ensuring the successful implementation of R-TRADE. This committee provides guidance and input to improve recruitment, training, and retention of refrigeration technicians nationwide.
R-TRADE Advisory Committee
A coalition of industry leaders committed to ensuring the successful implementation of R-TRADE. This committee provides guidance and input to improve recruitment, training, and retention of refrigeration technicians nationwide.
R-TRADE Founding Partners
