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San Diego LEARN isn't the only program recognizing the incredible opportunity in expanding access to the skilled energy trades. A recent partnership between San Diego College of Continuing Education and Lincoln High School, in the Encanto area of San Diego, is proving how Free HVAC training can change lives by giving local students the chance to earn EPA certification, gain hands-on experience, and step directly into good-paying HVAC careers across San Diego.  As programs like this grow, it highlights San Diego's regional commitment to accessible trade education and upward mobility for our young people. Curious if the HVAC field might be right for you? LEARN has hundreds of workforce training courses available on demand. Take a free introductory course via eLearning and explore a future in the green energy trades today.

Residential decarbonization is booming, in just one year, the U.S. added over 74,000 new energy efficiency jobs, pushing the sector to 2.3 million workers. Yet employers across the country are saying the same thing: We can’t find enough skilled people to hire.

The issue isn’t a lack of opportunity. It’s a lack of accessible training. Most people don’t even know these careers exist, let alone how to get certified or where to start. Many current workers want to transition into HVAC, heat pump installation, or energy auditing, but hit barriers like cost, confusing licensing requirements, or rigid in-person-only programs. LEARN is providing an accessible pathway for industry-aligned workforce training for energy trades.

The HVAC industry is ever evolving, and HVAC technicians today are expected to stay ahead of industry changes more than ever before. Digital skills and the ability to navigate new technology is as important as math skills for HVAC professionals and other climate control specialists. Certifications help establish a technician's skill level in a competitive marketplace while also boosting their income potential, since reports show HVAC personnel with certifications earn between 15% and 25% higher wages than technicians without HVAC industry certifications.  Highly trained HVAC technicians will be essential to a successful transition to Green Energy in the United States. Programs offering accessible certification paths for tradespeople could be a viable solution that helps both workers and utilities achieve their goals.  

Skilled HVAC installers, electricians, and insulation workers will be vital to meet building energy demands. Already 83% of US employers are experiencing hiring difficulties as they search for tradespeople with the ability to adapt to new innovations and technologies. Closing skills gaps and especially the willingness to adopt digital technologies is in high demand overall, but especially for heat pump water heaters and hydronic heat pumps.

While artificial intelligence often gets framed as replacing jobs, this shift reveals another side of the coin: Jobs are also being created too, namely in the energy trades like Electrical, HVAC and Building Performance or Energy Auditors. According to Reuters, Google is funding electrician training to meet the rapidly growing power demands of AI and data centers. This move highlights a growing reality where the future of AI depends not only on coders and engineers, but on skilled tradespeople who can power, cool, and maintain the massive physical backbone of our new digital world. The experienced workers in physical trades are retiring faster than we can replace them, leaving both demand and opportunity for those willing to learn. San Diego LEARN offers free courses for those wanting to test out the field before enrolling in a trade school. 

San Diego County's unemployment rate has been fluctuating between 4.0–5.0%, reaching 4.9% in June 2025—the largest quarterly jump since 2020. While manufacturing, professional services, and finance have seen year-over-year job losses, construction remains a bright spot, adding roughly 1,400 new jobs in June alone. The data suggests that as some sectors cool, hands-on trades like HVAC and building performance continue to offer reliable, in-demand career paths for workers seeking stability or a fresh start. With local programs available, someone facing unemployment might consider upskilling to pivot into these more stable green energy fields. 

Every $1 spent on workforce equity programs in the energy trades can return $5+ in societal benefits through reduced unemployment, reduced recidivism and reduced dependence on public assistance.  Green-collar jobs like HVAC, solar panel installation, and electrical systems maintenance offer well- paying pathways for individuals, even without a college degree, which can stabilize families and communities for generations. Society literally profits when barriers are removed. The Learn program supports these efforts by offering opportunities for free certification programs in green energy fields to individuals facing economic and societal barriers. These findings are confirmed by Georgetown Law's Climate Center:

According to a 2024  Executive Report from the International Energy Agency, we are currently experiencing an "acute shortage" of skilled workers in a number of key industries. Notably highlighted fields included HVAC, heat pump installation and electrical organizations who are looking to hire skilled tradespeople. Based on these trends, individuals interested in pursuing HVAC or electrical professions would benefit from the SD LEARN Program, which offers free courses that qualify for credits toward HVAC certifications including NATE credits. 

As clean energy and climate-related industries expand, community colleges are opening new doors for young people to pursue meaningful, hands-on careers. Programs in solar installation, heat pump technology, EV maintenance and energy-efficient building systems offer practical pathways to secure employment that require less time and cost than a four-year degree, while leading directly to in-demand jobs.  These trades-based careers provide more than just stability; they offer purpose. Students can see tangible results of their work and contribute to building a more sustainable future. For many, the trades are becoming a smart, purpose-driven alternative to the traditional college route. LEARN offers both energy efficiency courses and certification pathways that are free to most students and can help accelerate individual career growth. 

One man's journey from incarceration to HVAC employment highlights how technical training, like LEARN's online HVAC certifications, can redefine futures for justice-impacted individuals. Training people who have been "left out of the equation" builds local workforce capacity, reduced recidivism, and strengthens community standards. These elements are core to LEARN's equity-centered mission on workforce development which is why free certification options are offered to those exiting incarceration, who are looking to restart or continue a career in Green Energy. Skilled trades are in high demand, HVAC technician training is just one option available to workers who are ready to rebuild their futures. 

HVAC professionals are currently in high demand as states ramp up efforts to switch towards energy efficient electrification in their utilities. Heat pumps and heat pump water heaters are more challenging to install than older equipment and lacking proper installation could lead to customer complaints and service backlogs. This highlights the vital importance of adequate technical training for HVAC professionals in California’s path towards decarbonization.

Combining equitable policies with energy targets could lift millions of people out of poverty, while unlocking $20 trillion in cumulative savings. New study shows combining the goals of two disparate goals-- green energy with social equity-- would have a net benefit of cutting emissions, boosting economies and delivering real-world social benefits.  San Diego LEARN program takes this same approach by offering free and reduced cost professional certification for disadvantaged workers seeking to enter green energy fields.