Addressing the skills shortage
Addressing the skills shortage
Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd has donated one of the most sophisticated and advanced air conditioning systems, the VRV (Variable Refrigerant Volume), to Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education to help the college tackle the skills shortage in the air conditioning and refrigeration industry head-on.
Grimsby Institute has teamed up with air conditioning installers Airco of Hull and introduced a new and bespoke multi-skilled apprenticeship scheme. The three year course, which is aimed at 16-19 year olds working towards a Multi-Skill Engineering AMA (Advanced Modern Apprenticeship), already has 26 Airco apprentices signed up, with a roll-on of six new Airco apprentices joining each year.
Simon Wilson, director at Airco, said: “The skills shortage has loomed large over the air conditioning industry for a number of years. An ageing workforce coupled with fewer younger people undertaking the necessary training courses to gain the vocational skills required means there is now a real lack of skilled recruits to fill industry vacancies. By working in partnership with Grimsby Institute, the new multi-skilled apprenticeship scheme highlights our commitment to continuing to improve as a business through both employee development and operational efficiency.
“We would like to thank Daikin UK for its support. The company’s VRV product is one of the most innovative systems on the market and allows our apprentices to undertake real life scenarios and project based assessments before they go out on site, making them better placed, trained and more confident to carry out their work.”
The aim is to give apprentices a broader knowledge of all the core areas across the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, enabling a productive workforce, which is able to install and maintain a range of technical equipment. It also provides apprentices with general business wide awareness to ensure they understand how Airco operates in the marketplace.
Jayne Robinson, sales and marketing officer at The Grimsby Institute, said: “The scheme has been developed to produce a unique and flexible apprenticeship programme to adhere to Airco’s requirements, which will ultimately provide highly trained, multi-skilled engineers. At the end of the three years, the apprentices will receive the Multi Skill Engineering AMA (Advanced Modern Apprenticeship), with the opportunity to build on this. All apprentices are also encouraged to take Further and Higher Education which could eventually lead to degree course modules, again offering an excellent opportunity to build their knowledge and further develop their career prospects with Airco.
For information on Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd’s extensive range of innovative and cost-effective air conditioning equipment visit www.daikin.co.uk.
