DENVER — Mi Casa Resource Center has launched a new career training program for high-demand careers in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry that will provide more Spanish-speaking technicians to support communities throughout the Denver-metro.
According to Mi Casa, the program is free to participants, offers training in Spanish or English and provides up to $1,350 in incentive payments to those who meet program requirements.
“I worked at a nonprofit where we helped low-income communities reduce their energy usage. All at no cost to the community. And one of the big things was HVAC,” Lorenzo Sanchez, HVAC career coach at Mi Casa Resource Center said. “We came across so many HVAC issues with carbon monoxide, gas furnaces, ventilation that were harmful to the families, it was costing them money.”
But Sanchez said for many Spanish-speaking families, HVAC services were hard to access due to the language barrier.
“Our goal is to build it up, build up a workforce, a Spanish-speaking workforce, to help families feel comfortable with new technology, with heat pumps, in addition to their old furnaces,” Sanchez said.
While Mi Casa administers the program, the training is funded by Power Ahead Colorado, an initiative run by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The training program brings together Mi Casa, Front Range Community College, Red Rocks Community College and Blue Sky Training to provide accessible, industry-focused HVAC training at multiple locations across the Denver metro area.
“We received a $200 million grant back in 2024, all focused around transitioning the region from gas-burning fossil fuel appliances in the home, mostly furnaces and water heaters, and transitioning them over to super-efficient, all electric, cold climate heat pumps,” Clay McComb, program manager for Power Ahead Colorado said. “We're so excited to partner with Mi Casa Resource Center. They've been a staple in the Denver community for so long. Our partnership with Mi Casa is all about workforce development, helping provide career opportunities. This technology brings more job opportunities to Denver. Our partnership with Mi Casa is to make sure that those job opportunities aren't just going to who's next in line, but we're getting into those harder to reach pockets of the community.”
McComb said the program helps address two problems: Providing more efficient HVAC systems for homes and removing barriers to service.
“For the households that are Spanish speaking, they're that much more likely to bring in an HVAC technician if there isn't that language barrier. It's already kind of invasive when someone switches one of your appliances, so if you can't even communicate with that individual, you're not very likely to pursue that switch out from a gas furnace to a heat pump,” McComb said. “Denver has a significant labor gap, and it's actually growing as more and more people retire in the industry. And so, if anyone's looking for not just a job, but a career, this is extremely stable. It's AI proof, and not only is there opportunity to make you earn well above six-figure wages, but you can open your own business one day.”
Enrollment is currently open for upcoming cohorts. Space is limited and prospective participants are encouraged to enroll now through Dec. 11. To learn more about the program and apply, click here.
