Rinnai supports skilled trade gap by partnering with Folds of Honor The skilled trade industry is in desperate need of enthusiastic workers as the baby boomers are retiring. However, vocational school has become an obsolete term for high school students, the exact age employers are targeting the most.Skilled Trade Gap Baby boomers are beginning to Read more
Rinnai
Rinnai supports skilled trade gap by partnering with Folds of Honor
The skilled trade industry is in desperate need of enthusiastic workers as the baby boomers are retiring. However, vocational school has become an obsolete term for high school students, the exact age employers are targeting the most.
Skilled Trade Gap
Baby boomers are beginning to retire and recruiters are looking for new skilled trade workers to fill their shoes. What is the problem? There are not enough laborers equipped to fill them. With a push toward a four-year college degree, many generational skilled trade workers are leaving the family business, and only a few men and women are choosing trade career options.
Vocational school is soon left out of the conversation when teenagers are told that going to a four-year institution would provide them with a more reliable and better paying career. Even though vocational school is less expensive, provides students with a valuable skill, and most students are hired immediately into the workforce upon completion. Knowing these statistics, teenagers made the decision to go to college which created a large gap between themselves and the current baby boomers in the industry.
There are 31 million skilled trade positions needing to be filled, according to Adecco US. It is important to reopen the conversation and benefits of vocational school with high school students as well as introduce them to these ideas as soon as the word “college” is mentioned.
How Can We Help?
Rinnai is dedicated to helping close the skilled trade gap by encouraging more students to seek a vocational education. By partnering with Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization started by Major Dan Rooney, Rinnai will be providing trade-specific educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled service members. For every Rinnai tankless water heater or boiler sold this year, Rinnai will make a contribution up to $250,000 to fund scholarships in the plumbing and HVAC trades. We hope our contribution will help to strengthen our industry for the current generation to provide skills for the future.
We encourage you to join Rinnai by honoring our service members’ sacrifice and educating their legacy, by donating to Folds of Honor, by visiting https://www.rinnai.us/FoldsOfHonor.
Rinnai America Corporation announces a new innovation initiative that will drive product advancements for the U.S. and Canadian markets. With this new direction, Ray VanAssche has been promoted to Vice President of Innovation, a new department that combines engineering and product management. The new Innovation Department will enable the engineering and product management teams to collaborate Read more
Rinnai America Corporation announces a new innovation initiative that will drive product advancements for the U.S. and Canadian markets. With this new direction, Ray VanAssche has been promoted to Vice President of Innovation, a new department that combines engineering and product management.
The new Innovation Department will enable the engineering and product management teams to collaborate on the product roadmap and generate leading ideas and solutions for existing and new markets.
“For years, Rinnai America Corporation has adapted Rinnai Japan products for the North American market. With a recent shift in strategy to be the product and technology leader in North America, promoting Ray will allow us to meet this goal. His proven track record of market-leading product development, leadership and progressive ideation will set Rinnai up for continued success,” saidFrank Windsor, Chief Operating Officer for Rinnai. “Our vision is enhancing lives by changing the way water is heated. Becoming the leader in product innovation in North America will strengthen our commitment to the water heating industry and dedication to our customers.”
VanAssche has an extensive background working with market-leading, innovating organizations such as General Motors, Tesla Motors and The Coca-Cola Company.
“I am proud and truly honored to lead Rinnai America’s highly talented product management and product development teams. This new role provides a unique opportunity to address market needs by integrating best-in-class products with innovative solutions which positively impact consumers’ lives,” said VanAssche.
This strategy aligns well with the timeline for Rinnai’s new 300,000-square-foot facility in Griffin, Georgia, which is slated for completion in Q4 of 2020. Rinnai is the first major tankless water heater manufacturer in North America and will produce both residential and commercial products at the new manufacturing site. Rinnai began the first phase of its manufacturing journey in a temporary facility in Griffin, Georgia earlier this year. The facility produced its first tankless water heater on April 4, 2018, and has consistently exceeded production and quality goals since then.
In addition, Rinnai’s new North American headquarters grand opening is planned for September 2018. The new North America Innovation and Training Center construction will start once the new headquarters is opened.
For more information on Rinnai and its portfolio of products, visit rinnai.us.