Student Statement: Emily Staff
A.A.S. in HVAC/R Candidate
HVAC/R Advisory Committee Member
Kellogg Community College
The Department of Labor projects a 9% growth for jobs in HVAC/R and an 11% increase for
electricians in the next ten years. It’s estimated that for every five workers slated to retire, only
two technicians will enter the job market to replace them. As a scholarship student at Kellogg
Community College and aspiring entrepreneur, I’d like to share my perspective on how this labor
crisis will cause severe hardships for families here in Michigan and even across the country.
Imagine a Michigan winter without heat in our homes or food on the dinner table without
refrigeration at the supermarket. What about maintaining the power plants, hospitals and other
services that are absolutely critical to our infrastructure?
It is imperative that our Legislators take action to mitigate the over-regulation at Licensing and
Regulatory Affairs. The barriers currently in place hinder my ability to open my own business.
In order to qualify to take the test for my Contractor’s License there is a requirement of 6,000
hours of on-the-job experience under a currently Licensed Contractor. My Associates in Applied
Science Degree will satisfy 2,000 of these hours. Therefore, after graduation I must obtain and
document an additional 4,000 hours of hands-on work experience.
The problem is there are two available pathways to satisfy this requirement: join the union or
work for a private company that’s willing to sign off on those hours. Although the union is a
viable option for a lot of people, I have found that their requirements don’t suit my goals. I
reserve the right to exercise the alternative opportunity. However, I have discovered a
tremendous obstacle: a lot of companies will not sign off on this experience.
Most companies only have one Licensed Contractor of Record. That contractor rarely, if ever,
supervises the work of the technicians in the field. Therefore, the company doesn’t have to sign
off on the technician’s hours. This accompanies a pervasive view that by allowing a subordinate
to become a Licensed Contractor themselves, they are adding more competition in the market
and creating a less favorable business environment for their longevity. They can keep their
prices high and increase demand for their services, if they circumvent the generation of more
Licensed Contractors.
Help create opportunities for hard-working tradespeople like me to find a viable pathway to
entrepreneurship. I take pride in helping people maintain their livelihoods, their homes and
businesses, and seek to pave a way for others to do the same. We can solve this crisis together.