The technology revolution has made an enormous impact on the job market and there is no sign of it slowing down anytime soon. Industries are seeing new jobs created and well-established jobs cut, and HVAC is no exception. While innovation and technological advances are at the heart of many engineering jobs, the speed of change in the last few years has been daunting even for the most technologically savvy within the industry. With headlines of dramatic job loss across hundreds of sectors and a new digital age, it can be hard to pinpoint what the future of HVAC will be and how the role of engineers could change.
After speaking to our industry experts and following current industry trends, here is our rundown of the changes in HVAC and how it could impact your job.
Going Green
Moving to sustainable and efficient energy is not that new in the industry. But according to experts from the Institute of Civil Engineering, we should expect big changes and improvements to more sustainable systems in coming years. Despite the criticism by many environmental groups, the Governments Clean Growth Strategy is still a step towards energy efficiency across the UK. The growth in sustainable systems is already being noticed and the industry is lacking the skills required for this modern technology. We should expect substantial changes to the training and equipment used in the coming years, with far more regulations on the industry. Not only that, but the pressure for companies to refit more energy efficient ventilation and refrigeration systems will mean increased job opportunities nationally.
The Internet of Things
Big Data and the Internet of things may seem like tech jargon for the marketing and IT world with little relevance to engineering. However, the fact is that these digital technologies are making a huge impact on the day-to-day work of an HVAC engineer. Intelligent sensors are now common within systems meaning that faults, problems and servicing requirements can be tracked and monitored online, and even without human interaction. This means that when engineers work on a job they can quickly and effectively track what the problems are and even exactly when the problem occurred. Allowing workers to complete jobs quicker and to a higher standard.
The HVAC APP for AutoCAD
In the last few days, JTB World introduced an app, HVACPAC, that will run inside AutoCAD 2018. The app creates 3D and 2D maps of the ventilation systems of a building. This allows for the quicker creation of ventilation structures, digital and personal. AutoCAD is updating constantly, and the design capabilities and opportunities are growing more impressive almost daily. Being able to stay up to date with these changes is key to success in the industry. Although this can be daunting for the senior and well-established HVAC engineers, it is where the industry will continue to head.
Healthy Employment Growth
There is no denying that there many industries that will see massive job losses as a result of the technology revolution. Jobs which can be done quicker and more efficiently by computers will slowly disappear from the job boards, but current trends show that isn’t the case for HVAC. According to GMT, HVAC has seen healthy growth in employment over the past 15 years, where architecture and management roles have seen a decline. Despite the growth in impressive and market changing technology, there remains a vital place for skilled-manual and human-driven jobs.
Working in HVAC and Refrigeration and looking for a new job opportunity? Our team at Calibre Search have the experience and expertise to help you find the role that will help your career develop. Find out what is available on the Calibre Job Page. Call us on 0113 234 6047 to find out how we can help you. Alternatively, you can email our specialists and they will be in touch
