According to the report, more than 15 million people are employed worldwide in the HVAC&R industry, with the under-representation of women evidenced by the fact that only 6 per cent of members of national refrigeration organisations are women.

“As the need for ‘HVAC&R’ professionals continues to grow, a high potential can be unleashed by encouraging women to pursue education and job opportunities in this sector,” says the report.

Of the respondents, 59 per cent were under 40 years of age, and most respondents worked in Asia (34 per cent) and Europe (33 per cent).

The report also looked at longevity, and found that 47 per cent of women working in the HVAC&R sector have done so for more than 10 years. However, only one out of five women had been promoted twice in the last 10 years, while 24 per cent had never been promoted, suggesting limited career progression opportunities.

Women identified the top five challenges of working in the industry as difficulty with work-life balance, lack of career advancement opportunities, stereotypes or prejudice about women (from clients or customers), lack of female colleagues, and limited training opportunities.

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