Women in HVACR (WHVACR), a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration trades, is addressing the industry’s persistent gender gap through its Navigator Mentor Training Program, a structured mentorship and professional development training initiative designed to provide targeted mentorship training curriculum based on the specific needs of women in HVAC and refrigeration.
This training will equip women entering or advancing in this industry to have the mentoring skills critical to their own career growth, leadership development and long-term success, and share those skills with their peers and colleagues.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women only make up about 3% of the HVACR workforce, reflecting longstanding barriers to entry and advancement within the trades. WHVACR members have identified the power of mentorship in helping them develop the skills and knowledge to be successful in their careers. Participation in the WHVACR Navigator program has tripled in size over the last two years and directly reflects the significant need for mentorship and trained mentors.
“The number one question I get asked by companies across the industry is around attracting and retaining women in their organization,” said Lisa Knapp, a WHVACR board member. “My response is always, mentorship. Data collected from our members show that mentorship has been particularly valuable in employee retention and advancement. And now that we have seen the impact of our Navigator program, we want to flood the industry with women trained to be mentors to other women.”
Navigator was originally launched in 2024 and pairs emerging professionals with industry veterans who provide real-world insights and practical guidance to help mentees navigate obstacles to move forward in their careers. Knapp said the new training element ensures that mentors have the tools they need to guide other women through modern challenges.
The Navigator program is powered by MentorCity, a cloud-based, comprehensive mentoring platform designed for organizations and individuals to foster professional growth through structured and automated mentor-mentee matching. Since its launch, Navigator has demonstrated strong participation and measurable impact, including more than 400 mentorship meetings, strong engagement across program discussion boards and more than 90 professional development goals set by mentees.
“Having a mentoring mindset is such a valuable part of leadership development,” said WHVACR President Jane Sidebottom. “We have such a strong mentorship committee, with deep coaching and mentoring experience. Their willingness to share this expertise in the form of training and in support of our members’ leadership development is a gift. It fills a gap for structured mentorship training in this industry.”
