The Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association (RETA) and the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (RSES) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council (NASRC). The agreement, finalized in February during the 2025 AHR Expo in Orlando, FL, aims to strengthen collaboration on technician training and certification for natural refrigerants.
Under the MOU, the organizations will work together to develop and promote a Commercial Refrigeration Certification, with a particular focus on CO₂ technologies. The agreement also leaves room for future partnerships on additional training initiatives.
Jim Barron, Executive Director of RETA-RSES, highlighted the importance of adapting established industrial refrigeration training for the commercial sector. “Taking what RETA knows to be the Gold Standard in training and certification in industrial refrigeration and translating that to the commercial side of the industry is an exciting and necessary project. The MOU shows the commitment the NASRC has to properly training and certifying the industry professionals,” he said.
NASRC and RETA have previously collaborated on industrial CO₂ training, including the CO₂ Handbook, a study course covering safety, system basics, installation, and maintenance. Currently under committee review, this course offers 20 Professional Development Hours (PDHs) upon completion.
NASRC Executive Director Danielle Wright emphasized the significance of this partnership for workforce development. “This collaboration is a critical component of our R-TRADE program, which aims to improve recruitment, training, and retention of refrigeration technicians,” she said. “We look forward to combining forces with RETA and RSES to create a powerful partnership that will shape the future of the refrigeration workforce through comprehensive training and certification programs.”