EGIA, GRIT Expand HVAC Scholarships to Build Job-Ready Talent Pipeline
Key Highlights
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Up to 80 annual HVAC scholarships, including 50 fully sponsored online diplomas
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Graduates earn OSHA 10, EPA 608 and NATE Ready-to-Work certifications
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Built-in contractor connection through Career Days and an online hiring directory
SACRAMENTO, CA — The EGIA Foundation and the GRIT Foundation have launched a national scholarship partnership designed to expand access to HVAC trade education while strengthening the contractor workforce pipeline.
The expanded program builds on the EGIA Foundation’s long-standing $2,500 scholarships awarded to up to 30 HVAC trade school students annually. Through the new partnership, the organizations will also offer up to 50 fully sponsored online HVAC Trade School Diploma scholarships, removing financial and geographic barriers for students nationwide.
Expanded Access to HVAC Trade Education
The scholarship program is structured to reduce common obstacles that prevent students from entering the skilled trades, including tuition costs, location constraints and limited access to industry-recognized credentials.
The EGIA Foundation, the charitable arm of EGIA, supports workforce development alongside its broader mission of helping home services contractors grow stronger, more profitable businesses through training, financing and program solutions. The GRIT Foundation, supported by SkillCat, focuses on connecting students to accessible, industry-relevant skilled trades education.
Together, the organizations are prioritizing youth and individuals from underrepresented communities who need assistance accessing job-ready HVAC training.
“Too many people have the drive to succeed but never get a real shot,” said Leilani Orr, Executive Director of the GRIT Foundation. “This partnership is about telling them: we see you, we believe in you, and we’re investing in your future. When we remove cost, location, and access as barriers, incredible things happen.”
Industry-Recognized Certifications Built In
Students who complete the program will earn key entry-level credentials aligned with contractor hiring needs, including OSHA 10, EPA Section 608 and NATE Ready-to-Work certifications.
By combining structured HVAC curriculum with industry-recognized certifications, the program aims to ensure graduates are not only trained, but job-ready for residential and light commercial service roles.
For contractors facing persistent technician shortages, that alignment with real-world hiring requirements is central to the program’s design.
“This partnership allows us to extend our charitable mission beyond financial assistance and into long-term impact,” said Bruce Matulich, CEO and Executive Director of EGIA. “By combining education, certification, and job placement support, we’re creating a more inclusive on ramp into the skilled trades and helping address the workforce shortages contractors across the country continue to face.”
Connecting Graduates Directly to Contractors
Beyond classroom training, the partnership incorporates workforce engagement and placement initiatives intended to shorten the gap between graduation and employment.
The EGIA Foundation and GRIT Foundation will collaborate on regional Career Day events connecting students with contractors, trade schools, junior colleges and community leaders. The organizations are also developing an online hiring directory to directly link program graduates with employers seeking entry-level HVAC and skilled trades talent.
In addition, GRIT Foundation will provide job placement tools designed to support the transition from training to employment, helping graduates move quickly into productive field roles.
Pursuing Workforce Development Funding
To expand reach and long-term sustainability, the organizations are actively pursuing federal, state and local workforce development grants, along with utility and government initiatives aimed at closing the labor gap in HVAC and other high-demand skilled trades.
For contractors, the initiative represents a coordinated effort to build a stronger, better-prepared entry-level workforce. For students, it provides a structured pathway into stable, in-demand HVAC careers with upward mobility potential.
More information about the EGIA Foundation scholarship program and its partnership with the GRIT Foundation and SkillCat is available at EGIAFoundation.org/Scholarships.