Every day, 10,000 Baby Boomers reach retirement age. According to Susan Kaufman, vice president of strategic marketing for Daikin Applied, this means many skilled men and women will be leaving the HVAC and engineering industry, and “they are taking a ton of knowledge with them.”

To help foster the next generation of HVAC workers, Daikin held its first “Future of HVAC” student event during the AHR Expo, January 14 in Atlanta. Approximately 20 students from across the country participated in hands-on learning and had time to speak with Daikin leadership. Daikin human resources spent time with the students talking about interviewing skills and resumes, while employees who are recent graduates emphasized how today’s challenges in HVAC are tomorrow's opportunities.

Product managers were also on hand and explained their roles in developing Daikin technology and equipment. They also demonstrated the company's recent technical advancements on the show floor for the students. This included a tour of Daikin’s Innovation Roadshow trailer, which provided students with a hands-on opportunity to see various Daikin technologies.

If the first Daikin student event is any indication, the future of the HVAC industry should be in good hands,

“The students seem smart, and engaged, and are asking very important questions,” said Kaufman. “I love to see that.”