R-TRADE Supporters Program

R-TRADE Supporters Program

Funder: North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC)

Geographic Scope: Nationwide (United States)

Status: Launched July 29, 2025; ongoing

Overview:
The R-TRADE Supporters program offers organizations a new way of supporting critical workforce solutions delivered under R-TRADE, the nationwide workforce development program addressing the critical refrigeration technician shortage.

What is R-TRADE?
R-TRADE (Refrigeration Technician Recruitment, Advancement, Development, and Education) is a nationwide workforce development program launched in September 2024 that aims to:

Recruitment: Increase awareness and support for the refrigeration technician career path through youth and adult engagement

Training: Increase access to comprehensive training on refrigeration and advanced refrigeration technologies to train over 14,000 technicians

Retention: Identify and promote best practices, technologies, and other support mechanisms to increase retention of existing technicians

The Problem:
The commercial refrigeration industry faces a critical technician shortage while undergoing mandatory transition from greenhouse gas HFC refrigerants to climate-friendly alternatives. This creates a significant bottleneck for the industry transition.

Program Rationale:
Technicians are the backbone of the commercial refrigeration industry. Technicians need support to develop a sustainable workforce. The Supporters program gives organizations a meaningful way to invest in the workforce and ensure technicians have the resources they need to succeed now and into the future.

What Supporter Funding Supports:

Free in-person, expert-led training events

Workforce recruitment through resources like:

- School career fairs
- Faculty training

Hands-on training and career-building resources

Founder Support:
R-TRADE Founding Partners who provided initial seed funding:

Walmart

Amazon

Costco

Kroger

Albertsons

Walmart and Amazon voluntarily surpassed suggested donation amounts.

Benefits of Becoming a Supporter:

Tax-deductible contribution (to the extent permitted by law)

Promotional benefits and recognition

Opportunities to engage directly with refrigeration technicians at NASRC training events

Supporter Levels:
Start as low as $5,000 per year

Contact Information:

Email: info@nasrc.org

Website: nasrc.org/r-trade-supporters

For more information on getting involved: nasrc.org/r-trade

Organization Type:
NASRC is a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit (Tax ID: 47-4473961)