(WXYZ) — From fixing furnaces to installing air conditioners, there's a growing need for workers who can keep metro Detroit's homes running. These jobs aren't just in demand — they're changing lives and providing a pathway for young people to build a future without debt.
Michael Lepinat is a service technician with C&C Heating and Air Conditioning. He says he found his path in the trades after realizing a traditional career just wasn't for him.
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"I get to speak with people and work in a changing environment. I'm not stuck behind a desk all day, and I'm presented with different challenges each and every day that I get to overcome," Lepinat said.
"Being in a trade has been nothing but great in my life. I wouldn't be who I am today without it," Lepinat said.
Nationwide, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce estimates there are over 60,000 unfilled HVAC positions — a gap industry leaders hope young talent can help close.
Justin Coker is the service process manager and maintenance field supervisor at C&C who oversees all of the apprentices. He tells me the company invests heavily in training new talent, often fresh out of high school.
"Every person's a little bit different, but we want to make sure that when we're putting our technicians into people's homes, they feel confident, we feel confident, and the customer feels confident," Coker said.
Coker says he knows that journey firsthand.
"I started many years ago as a maintenance technician, quickly worked my way up through service and now into management, and then there's some guys that veer off into more of a sales role. There's some guys that just continue to do service until they retire," Coker said.
While many young adults face college debt, Lepinat says the trades offer something different — stability and freedom.
"I can only imagine what it would be like to have hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt and not be able to get a job in the field that I studied for. I know a lot of people that way, family members even that spent years at college and have master's degrees and doctorates, and they're constantly faced with an open job market and not knowing where their next paycheck is gonna come from," Lepinat said.
Instead, he found success through hard work and a career that continues to grow.
"You get what you give, and if you want to be the best somewhere, then there is gonna be some hard work and some long hours that you're gonna have to put in, but if it's something that you're truly dedicated to and that you love doing, it's worth it. The sky is the limit," Lepinat said.
"We love working with people that are fresh out of school and want to see their career take off," Coker said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
