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(2035 is the current date for this), there will be years of servicing and repair. Let’s not forget about hydrogen. Currently being
trialled, if this takes off in our city centres, then the gas installer we know today will not be too much of a different beast in the future. Regardless of the longevity of gas, change is coming and the savvy installer should be getting themselves ready for it. This year will see a big push by government to
encourage the take-up of low carbon alternatives to heat our properties, as laid out by the Heat & Buildings Strategy. For domestic buildings, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, set to launch in April, will offer money towards the cost of swapping a fossil fuel heating system for a heat pump. Heat pumps and other heat-based renewables (solar thermal and biomass) all call for a grounding in plumbing and heating, with experienced candidates able to add these new technologies to their offering in less than a week. Overall, the coming years will see a greater reliance on electricity, either from our increasingly ‘green’ National Grid, or through self-sufficient means. The interim update to Part L of the Building Regulations
Low carbon buildings
“For people working in construction-based fields, or thinking of getting into this sector, there has never been a better time to find work and the more skills you can bring the table, the more in demand you will be.”
coming in this year could see technologies like solar PV supporting high efficiency condensing boilers in new builds, for example. Electrical skills will be vital for heating installers looking to provide a full heating design and install service.
Attracting future stars
While all existing building services engineers would do well to add to their skill set, the fact remains that we still need more trained installers in our sector. Gas installers in particular are an ageing group, with a distinct lack of new talent joining the fold. We need young people to come up the ranks, to be made excited about the BSE industry – after all, it’s full of possibility, has largely weathered the storm of Covid, offers a wide range of career options and positively contributes to a low carbon future.
We also need to attract career changers from all
walks of life, to make people aware of the different ways to gain skills and experience and remove some of the barriers that may have put people off in the past. The pandemic has shown us all that more flexible ways of working (and training) are possible. Being mindful of family lives, mental and physical wellbeing and ensuring workplaces are inclusive to all, is key to the successful modern business.
More than 200 contractors were polled in mid-November 2021 by the ECA, working in partnership with the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), Scottish engineering trade body SELECT, and regional plumbing and heating trade body SNIPEF.
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