Training


www.heatingandventilating.net


Driving home the opportunities in HVAC


M


uch has been said about the low growth of the UK economy in recent years and a contributory factor many economists point to is the decline in our engineering and manufacturing industries, once the envy of the world. I have always been a great supporter of students going to university and gaining a degree as I believe it opens-up a world of opportunity and the prospect of a higher paid future career. However, I recognise that some school leavers find the apprenticeship route an attractive proposition – learning on the job, whilst getting paid for developing their skills. For the past decade, we have seen increasing


numbers of engineers leave the HVAC sector, primarily due to retirement, as many were born in the 1950s and 1960s. The problem now facing the sector is attracting new talent to replace them and there are a number of factors why progress is slower than desired. Firstly, we need more apprenticeships to be made


available in the UK and this means finding ways of encouraging companies to make them available. The Government of the day can play a part in this by offering financial incentives, such as tax breaks. Since 2017, on average only 330,000


apprenticeships were started against a target of 600,000 per year, leaving £3.3 billjon of levy funding unused. (Source: HR Magazine, March/April 2023). Whilst some millennials will want to pursue a


career in one of the service industries such as the financial sector, for those with a practical bias there are great opportunities to be had in an engineering related environment. It’s not just a case of boosting the numbers of


HVAC engineers; we need training to be made available for other key trades such as plumbing and electricians. Collectively, these trades make a significant contribution to the UK economy and, with


20 August 2024


Mike Lucken, technical sales manager - ACR for Conex Bänninger, explains why there is a clear need for far more apprenticeships to be made available in the UK; and why a career as an engineer in the HVAC industry can provide a fulfilling working life with excellent job prospects


their need for products to do their job, helps support our engineering and manufacturing industries. Creating more apprenticeships makes sound


economic sense - many entrants learn a trade and ultimately go onto run their own successful businesses. This is something to celebrate and promote as it demonstrates how you can turn a trade an entrepreneurial opportunity. To attract the best talent, companies need to demonstrate a commitment to good quality training schemes and the opportunity for advancement. Let’s get back to promoting the message of how important it is to create and the satisfaction that this brings. Youngsters today want to progress up the career ladder quickly and often achieve this by changing jobs frequently. We need to convince them that the HVAC industry, for example, can provide good career progression. Companies need to promote mentoring programmes that will assist employees to develop their talent and facilitate a faster route to promotion. Offering incentives for ‘signing-on’ or perhaps at the end of their initial training is another way. As a company, Conex Bänninger is working with


educational establishments like Dudley College of Technology to provide training in the installation of our revolutionary >B< MaxiPro press fitting. Over the past 12 months, I undertook a series of


training sessions to apprentices studying for the three-year Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician – Level 3 qualification.


This was well received by both the college and the


apprentices and will hopefully be a collaboration that continues for years to come. Conex Bänninger is keen to promote the HVAC industry and is one of a number of manufacturers supporting the Energy Training Academy in Scotland by providing product. The Academy, based in Edinburgh, is helping to produce the apprentices of tomorrow, as well as upskills experienced energy engineers. We also have an online training portal for >B<


MaxiPro, which enables the participant to learn at their pace and, once successful, can download a certificate. If we can drive home the opportunities that


exist in the HVAC industry and wider afield within engineering in general, we can collectively make a difference.


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