INDUSTRY COMMENT revolutionising the way we train tradespeople Smart skills: how digital platforms are
guidance tailored to specific products, diagnostic support to reduce onsite troubleshooting time, data capture for compliance and quality assurance, and access to updated technical standards (without sifting through pages of PDFs). In other words, they extend the value of training into the field, supporting tradespeople exactly at the moment they need it.
Beyond qualifications
Continued professional development is becoming a lived, daily experience, and something that happens naturally through work, supported by digital tools.
The smart-skills era is defined by the merging of training and day-to-day practice:
Griff Thomas, executive director of energy transition and external affairs at United Infrastructure, GTEC Training and Heatly explains why the shift to a new wave of digital tools isn’t about replacing practical training, but enhancing it, extending it and making sure it’s accessible
• On-demand micro-learning: Engineers can review specific topics, like refrigerants, low-temperature design or commissioning steps through short videos or interactive guides exactly when they’re relevant.
• Installation support: Apps and tools incorporating AR and VR that allow you to survey, design, install and commission technology.
• Post-training resource libraries: Many digital platforms store manufacturer guidance, updated standards and how-to walkthroughs that installers revisit time after time.
T
he building services sector is in the midst of one of the biggest transformations in its history. As heat pumps, solar PV, energy storage and smart controls become central to the UK’s decarbonisation
journey, installers are under pressure to upskill quickly, confidently and continuously. In this environment, the traditional model of front-loaded, theory- based training on its own needs to extend beyond the classroom.
I’m a big believer that training should not end when a learner leaves the centre. Knowledge must follow them onto site, supporting decisions in real time, reducing installation errors, and boosting overall competency. Fortunately, a new wave of digital tools is making this possible. Online learning platforms, augmented reality (AR) applications and modular micro-content are redefining how tradespeople develop the “smart skills” needed to futureproof their careers.
The rise of digital-first learning in the trades
The trades have traditionally been hands-on professions, where learning by doing is rightly considered essential. But digital delivery now plays an important role in ensuring that installers arrive at their practical training with strong foundational knowledge, and can refresh it afterwards, as and when they need to. We’re seeing a huge increase in demand for blended learning formats. Short online modules allow engineers to complete theory at their own pace, in their own time, without taking a full day off the tools. This type of digital training can be updated instantly, keeping pace with changes to standards, technologies and best practice guidance far more easily than printed materials. At GTEC Training, we have integrated online theory with our practical courses for several years, reducing time away from work while improving learner success post-training. But the most exciting developments are happening beyond course learning, particularly in leveraging Virtual Reality (VR) and AR to enhance practical understanding.
28 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER FEBRUARY 2026
Augmented Reality for applied learning
One of the most promising tools in the digital training toolbox is augmented reality. AR allows trade professionals to visualise and interact with digital equipment in real-world settings, layering guidance and information onto live models through a smartphone or tablet. Imagine an engineer surveying a boiler
replacement or heat pump installation. Instead of flicking through manuals, they can use AR to see recommended clearances, pipework routing options, component placement and wiring pathways with annotations overlaid directly onto the space in front of them. This technology dramatically improves understanding of spatial requirements and system design. It also reduces the likelihood of mistakes before any materials are ordered or installed. We’re already seeing AR being used
more widely in heating and renewables. Manufacturers are developing apps to support installers through commissioning sequences, while training providers are experimenting with AR- enhanced course materials. As this technology develops, it will form an increasingly essential part of both learning and on-site support.
Heatly and the rise of digital installation support tools
While AR and online learning support the “before” and “during” stages of training, digital installation platforms provide the ongoing, on- the-job assistance that many installers tell us they need most. Tools like Heatly, Fixflo, and myenergi’s Installer Assistance are becoming invaluable resources for tradespeople. Heatly’s platform, with its heat-loss calculation engine, installation workflows and step-by-step guidance, is helping engineers design heat pump systems with a level of precision and confidence that was once hard to achieve without specialist support. These platforms act more like interactive mentors than digital manuals. They provide installation checklists and workflows to make sure nothing’s missed, live configuration
• Remote expert support: Installers can access technical assistance via live chat, video calls or screen-sharing directly from apps.
• Data-driven feedback loops: With more installations recorded digitally, patterns around common mistakes can inform future training content and assessment models.
For an industry facing major skills shortages and demanding decarbonisation targets, this shift is important. Digital tools provide training, but also help maintain and elevate competence across an entire workforce. Supporting the green transition through smarter skills
Decarbonising heat is one of the most complex engineering challenges the UK has ever faced. If installers are to feel comfortable fitting heat pumps, batteries, smart controls and hybrid systems at scale, they need clarity, confidence and consistent support. The move towards digital, modular and post- training learning helps bridge the “competency gap” that currently constrains the sector. It enables experienced gas engineers, for example, to transition to heat pumps more smoothly, and it ensures that less experienced installers can access expert guidance whenever they need it. The government’s ambitions can only be met if installers feel supported, both during training and every day afterwards. And it’s smart-skills platforms that will make this possible.
A collaborative future
The success of the industry will depend on collaboration between educators, manufacturers, software developers and regulators. Training providers are already embracing digital innovation, but we are relying on partners who can supply high-quality product data, interactive tools and up-to-date technical content. Ultimately, smart-skills development is about empowering tradespeople and ensuring they have access to the knowledge and confidence to deliver high-quality, efficient, low-carbon installations, wherever and whenever support is required.
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