COMPANY PROFILE
Competitors learning to work under pressure
For silver medallist Sam Jones, the most technically challenging aspect of the fi nal was the electrical fault-fi nding task. “You’re always second-guessing yourself and looking for all the faults.” He described the hesitation that comes with knowing that switching on a system prematurely could expose an error. “You don’t want to turn it on, and for there then to be a fault,” he said.
Jones said the competition closely mirrors the
realities of site work, but with the added intensity of compressed timescales. “In the competition, you do everything that’s done when you’re on site, but on-site it’s over two, three, four weeks, depending on how big the job is, whereas here you’re doing everything in two days,” he said. The time pressure, he added, forces competitors to work with a level of focus that is not always required in day-to-day work. “You’ve got to be quick, and you’ve got to be on it,” he said. “This helps in the real world, though, for when your boss is breathing down your neck, or the stock in the fridge is getting warm.” He also noted that the presence of spectators and judges adds another layer of diffi culty. “There must have been about 30 people coming around on one day,” he said. “You’ve got that all around your station. But it makes you switch on.” Jones, who entered the trade through an
apprenticeship after deciding against university, said the competition had reinforced his interest in larger-scale commercial and industrial systems. He also highlighted the environmental shift underway in the sector, describing recent work on A2L refrigerant systems and the need for new
'Lemmon noted that the competition environment introduces a level of pressure that can expose weaknesses not always visible in day-to-day work. “The pressure of the competition can sometimes mean mistakes happen,” he said. “But it’s not making a mistake that’s an issue – it’s how they react to it that’s important.” '
training in pipework and safety. “It’s better for the environment,” he said, “and I did A-level geography, so I know the wider justifi cation of why we need to go green now.” For organisers, the competition is not only a test of technical ability but also a mechanism for raising the profi le of the RACHP sector. Sophie Frain, skills advisor at BESA, the organising partner, said the event provides invaluable training. “It’s a massive opportunity and huge for career development,” she said. “You really do see the confi dence change from when they fi rst do their qualifi er test to the fi nals.” Frain said the competition’s structure is designed
to refl ect real-world tasks while introducing elements that apprentices may not encounter regularly. The online entry test covers health and safety and basic knowledge, while the qualifi ers introduce pipework fabrication and commissioning. The national fi nal then brings all elements together under strict time constraints. “If they make one minor mistake, it means the whole thing doesn’t work,” she said. “It’s about their organisation and their time management, making sure they remember everything.”
She also emphasised the competition’s role in
showcasing the trade to young people who may not be aware of it. “A lot of our industry is a generational thing,” she said. “Until you know about it, you don’t know about it.” With live-streamed events and school groups visiting the venue, the competition provides a rare public window into a profession that is often invisible. “People might not even know what a refrigeration engineer is,” she said, “and this gives them the chance to see it in practice.”
Diversity and future skills Frain acknowledged that diversity remains a challenge for the sector. “It’s very male-oriented,”
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she said. Eff orts to broaden participation include encouraging entrants from the Royal Engineers and involving female judges to provide visible role models. She said the organisers are also looking at how emerging technologies can be incorporated into future competitions, including digital tools and heat pumps. “It’s a growing conversation,” she said. “We’re trying to give competitors additional skills, so that they’re more employable and prepared for how technology is changing.” The RACHP sector continues to face a signifi cant skills gap, a point Lemmon highlighted. “There’s a huge skills gap at the moment, and these guys will fulfi l that,” he said. The competition, he said, reinforces the fundamentals that are sometimes overlooked in the fi eld. “Sometimes in the real world, they might not have the basic understanding that these guys have,” he said. “This competition drills the basics into them, and enhances the level you actually need.”
Finalists under 21 who scored above average
will now be considered for the UK’s international squad preparing for the 2028 Skills Olympics in Aichi, Japan. For those selected, the training cycle will be extended and involve further technical development, pressure testing and international benchmarking. For Jones, the experience has already shaped his outlook: “I’ve learned that I work pretty well under pressure,” he said. “The training has paid off , and I want to do work like this in the future.” His comments echo the broader purpose of the competition: not simply to award medals, but to highlight the industry, and build confi dence, capability and ambition among the next generation of engineers.
www.thebesa.com/worldskills
www.acr-news.com • January 2026 11
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