Amid HVAC tech shortage, Billerica company trains new staff itself NBC Boston [Video]

With businesses across the country feeling the heat of a nationwide skilled labor shortage, a Massachusetts HVAC company has come up with a cool solution that should reduce customer wait times.

Billerica-based Medford Wellington Service Company has been paying and training people to become HVAC and refrigeration technicians since October. The two-month course starts in the classroom with lessons in HVAC and electrical, then moves to servicing commercial customers out in the field. Once trainees complete the course, they start working full-time.

“We just can’t hire people fast enough and if you do hire people, they’re not going to have the skills you need,” program trainer Jamie Annarelli said. “The only way to have people to do the work that you need done is to train them ourselves.”

Finding technicians is the biggest challenge companies face right now, which leads to longer wait times, according to CEO Mike Lacrosse.

“There’s …