The number of graduates from Canadian schools and immigrants arriving in the country with the know-how to repair heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems over the next nine years is expected to fall short of the industry’s demand for these workers, providing plenty of opportunity for foreign nationals who want to immigrate to Canada.

Read more:

Earlier this year, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced Canada’s Express Entry system would begin targeting 82 jobs in healthcare, technology, trades, transport and agriculture this summer – including heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics.

HVAC industry facing 500-worker shortfall over next nine years

That means foreign nationals hoping to immigrate to Canada now have a new opportunity to get their permanent residence here.

The flagship Express Entry selection system had previously only conducted draws based only on immigration programs, not by targeting specific occupations.

With the changes announced at the end of May, the Express Entry streams, including the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) program, Federal Skilled Trades (FST) program and Canadian Experience Class (CEC), as well as parts of the Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) are now more responsive to labour market needs.

“Everywhere I go, I’ve heard loud and clear from employers across the country who are experiencing chronic labour shortages,” said then-Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

“These changes to the Express Entry system will ensure that they have the skilled workers they need to grow and succeed.  We can also grow our economy and help businesses with labour shortages while also increasing the number of French-proficient candidates to help ensure the vitality of French-speaking communities.”

During the coming nine year, Canadian heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry employers are expected to face an additional shortfall of 500 workers to fill HVAC repair jobs, further exacerbating the existing labour shortage.

“For heating, refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics, machine fitters and elevator constructors and mechanics, over the period 2022 – 2031, new job openings arising from expansion demand and replacement demand are expected to total 20,400 while 20,900 new job seekers arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility are expected to be available to fill them,” notes the Jobbank, job-hunting and career-planning website.

Experts had hoped the industry’s labour shortages were only a temporary thing but now it looks as though Canada will be faced with an HVAC repair worker shortage for years to come.

Indeed HVAC job search turns up 1,915 job postings

“Although the labour shortage conditions seen in recent years were expected to be temporary, the projected number of job seekers is not expected to be large enough to return this occupation to balance conditions over the projection period,” notes Jobbank.

“As a result, the shortage conditions will become more structural, continuing over the 2022 – 2031 period.”

There were 1,915 job listings for HVAC workers on the Indeed.ca job-hunting website in mid-August. 

HVAC repair workers, categorized under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 system with the code 72402, earn a median hourly wage $30.66 but that varies from a low of $18 right up to $46.05, reveals Jobbank.

Based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, that means HVAC repair workers could expect to earn a top median annual income of $89,797.

Jobbank ranks the job prospects for these workers as good in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan and moderate elsewhere in the country.

Candidates applying for permanent residence under occupation-targeted Express Entry draws will need at least six months of continuous work experience in Canada or abroad within the past three years in one of these occupations to be eligible. That experience can have been gained while working in Canada as temporary foreign workers with a work permits or as an international student with a student visa.

Canada first signalled its intention to start occupation-specific draws through Express Entry in June last year, when changes were made to the Immigration, Refugee and Protection Act to allow invitations based on occupations and other attributes, such as language ability.

The majority of Canada’s provinces have been issuing occupation-specific invitations for several years.

Under the changes to the act, the immigration minister is required to consult provinces and territories, members of industry, unions, employers, workers, worker advocacy groups, settlement provider organizations, and immigration researchers and practitioners, before announcing new categories.

IRCC must also report to parliament each year on the categories that were chosen and the reason for the choices.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) says the number of occupations facing shortages doubled between 2019 and 2021. From 2018 to 2022, federal high skilled admissions accounted for between 34 and 40 per cent of overall French-speaking admissions outside Quebec, which manages its own immigration intake.

Are you ready to live and work in Canada? Fill out our free evaluation form to find out if you are eligible.

Become the right candidate with the job you always wanted with our online IELTS and EECP packages at skilledworker.com.