12 News Training awards presented at Millennium Centre


PRESENTATION of this year’s Building Services Engineering Industry Training Awards took place in the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, on the evening of Monday 3 February. The First Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/ Commercial Apprentice Award was given to Rhys Evans of Laing O’Rourke, Cardiff, and sponsored by Pegler Yorkshire. Victoria Hackett of F P Hurley & Sons, Bridgend, Glamorgan, won the Second Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/Commercial Apprentice Award, sponsored by Pegler Yorkshire. The Third Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/ Commercial Apprentice Award was presented to joint winners Adam Jury of Lorne Stewart and Rhys Yates of CMB Engineering, both of Cardiff, and sponsored by Drain


Center, part of Wolseley UK. Chris Carmody of


Whitehead Building Services, Newport, Gwent, won the Fourth Year Heating and Ventilating Industrial/ Commercial Apprentice Award, sponsored by Drain Center.


The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Apprentice Award was presented to joint winners Kyle Engstrom of Four Seasons Maintenance, Cardiff, and Dave Thomas of T&J Installations, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, and sponsored by Cardiff and Vale College.


Sponsored by Cardiff and Vale College, the Electrical Installation Apprentice Award was clinched by Eleanor Davies of M&M’s Electrical, Swansea. The Building Services Engineer Award went to Keiran Swift of Ecofit


Back row, L-R: Rhys Evans, James Pearson, Keiran Swift and Dave Thomas; Front row, L-R: Rhys Yates, Victoria Hackett, Kyle Engstrom, Eleanor Davies and Chris Carmody.


Energy Systems, Pontyclun, Mid Glamorgan, and was sponsored by Pier Consulting. Finally, the Adult Learner


Award was presented to James Pearson of CMB Engineering, Cardiff, and sponsored by Pier Consulting.


Loyal employees help Airedale notch up another record


THERE’S one event on Leeds-based air conditioning manufacturer, Airedale International’s calendar that is not to be missed and that’s the opportunity to celebrate the hard work and loyalty of its long-serving employees who have reached milestones of between 10 and 35 years of service.


This year’s awards


celebrated nearly 900 years of continuous service by more than 40 individuals, who have notched up an average of 21 years of service each. The business employs more than 425 people globally and 330 in the local area.


Tony Bedard, Airedale’s technical quality engineering manager, is one of two employees with a tally of 35 years’ service. Attracted by the appeal of a young company which presented him with the opportunity to develop new skills and growing prospects, Mr Bedard joined Airedale in 1978 from a local plastic moulding machine manufacturer.


Aged 28, he started as an electrician and was soon promoted to production


ACR News March 2014


supervisor for the electrical department where he set on Airedale’s first three apprentices, all of whom have now progressed into other areas of the business. Mr Bedard’s son, Robert, who recently collected his doctorate in engineering from Hull University, also works in the project engineering team at Airedale.


When asked why he thinks people stay so long at Airedale, Mr Bedard said: “The company has always looked after you, both professionally with training and development opportunities, and personally


including both you and your family. They recognise that the biggest assets are the people who work here.” Internal sales engineer for the north of England since 2006, Jeremy Hodgin, has similarly progressed during his 20 years at Airedale, advancing from electrical wiring to test technician and, later, technical support, roles which armed him with the all-important specialist knowledge he needs to respond to customer queries pre and post-sales in his current role.


Joining at the start of the technology boom of the 1990s, Mr Hodgin has seen


the product range broaden from comfort and industrial process cooling systems to include more technologically advanced precision air condition systems and chillers for an increasing number of data centres, clean rooms and laboratories. “Airedale has always had a reputation for being a good employer. They are keen to support people to study and move up the ladder” said Mr Hodgin, who has seen his employer jump many hurdles that have hit the UK economy, and manufacturing in particular, over the years. Mr Hodgin is now planning to commence studying for an HND at Bradford College which will ultimately lead to a BEng in mechanical engineering.


Airedale HR director, Steve Joyce, said: “The very high retention rate which we enjoy has many benefits, particularly in terms of transferring skills and knowledge and ensuring business continuity. It is great to be able to attract apprentices and young graduates and to see them progress into bigger roles.”


Visit ACR News online at www.acr-news.com


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