National Apprenticeship Week

National Apprenticeship Week 2024

At BESA, we are passionate about the future of our industry and that is why we are fully committed to supporting National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) from February 5 to 11. The theme for the 17^th NAW is ‘Skills for Life’ as the week-long celebration of apprenticeships looks to raise awareness and engagement across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The aim is to encourage everyone to consider how apprenticeships can help individuals develop the skills and knowledge required for a rewarding career, and employers to develop a workforce with future ready skills.

Importance Of Apprenticeship Programmes

Our industry has an ageing workforce: the number of employees above 60 is increasing more than any other age group and the biggest reduction is in the total of workers under 30.
According to the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) ‘this will have a serious effect on the industry, as essential skills will be lost when employees retire.
This is exacerbated by the fact that the number of new recruits is declining and there will be nobody available to replace those retiring.’ Apprenticeships have a vital role to play in helping close the building services skills gap and we all have a role to play to support our industry and the future skills we desperately need.

One of the UK's leading M&E engineering companies, SES Engineering Services (SES) are a leading light for apprenticeships. They currently have 98, ranging from Level 3 to Level 7 and have already pledged to add to that number later in the year:

"SES recognise that people are the lifeline of our industry and with industry growth must come more investment in the future workforce.

Employing apprentices helps us to develop skills relevant to our organisation, helps us grow our own future talent pipeline and ensures we have a skilled and qualified workforce.

We recommend anyone working within the built environment to take on apprentices! It’s so important that we ensure young people coming into our industry are receiving the correct training that aligns with the business, also helping create our future leaders!"

Steve Joyce | Regional Managing Director | SES North

BESA Future Skills Pledge

To tackle the skills gap issue head-on, we are looking for employers who are willing to pledge to take on one or more apprentices to help their business develop a workforce with the right skills for the future and help close the skills gap we currently face.

After last year’s success, we are running this campaign again in 2024. We hope that the 60+ businesses that took the pledge in 2023 will do so again and that we can encourage more and more companies to take the pledge this year.

By taking the pledge today you will be starting the process early to ensure you find the right fit for your business, you will be committing to expanding or upskilling your workforce and showing your commitment to bringing new talent into the sector.

Companies That Have Pledged For 2024

Training is the absolute lifeblood of all industries. The Air Conditioning industry needs to secure its future and the best way to do that is by training apprentices. We’d urge ALL companies to get behind this initiative.

Ken Edwards | Key Accounts Manager | Hertfordshire Air Conditioning

The James Mercer Group Ltd considers offering apprentice employment positions on an annual basis a vital step to addressing the industry wide skills shortage.

Paul Moxham | Director James Mercer Group

Apprentices are proving to be the future of our company, enabling our engineering team to be youthful, knowledgeable and a perfect fit for our roles. They learn the skills we need to ensure the quality of service demanded of us is achieved and do it with a smile!

David Smith | Technical and Sustainability Manager | KCE FM Ltd

Currently 80% of our management team started work at apprentices with our company and having recruited four school leavers last summer we currently employ seven trainees studying NVQ L3 in refrigeration & air conditioning.

Mark Gledhill | MD | Crowther & Shaw Ltd

We are in the process of expanding our refrigeration service and maintenance part of our business. We know for a fact there will be lots of faults diagnosed, for which a basic fundamental understanding of the process of refrigeration is a prerequisite.

Allan Hosten | Technical Director | Sonic Frost Ltd

I have signed the pledge as apprenticeships are an important way to encourage future generations to take on skilled roles with on-the-tools experience, helping close the skill shortage gap the industry is currently facing.

Reece Brumby | Director | Optimum Temperature Solutions

We have signed the pledge because we are very committed to developing a workforce with the required skills and experience. We want to ensure that we future proof our business and deliver the right level of training and support to produce the next generation of highly skilled refrigeration engineers.

Stephanie Pinner | Learning & Development Co-ordinator | J & E Hall

Apprenticeship schemes are so valuable to any business, supporting and developing new people into the industry with real-world experience and learning opportunities ensuring the right skills are embedded into businesses early on. It is important to recognise that we must invest in our future workforce and future leaders in our industry.

Becki Taylor | Operational Efficiency Director | Skanska

QVAC is committed to shaping the future of the HVAC industry through innovation and excellence. By signing the BESA Future Skills Pledge this year, we're investing in the next generation of talent, ensuring they're equipped with the skills and knowledge to meet the evolving demands of our sector

CONNOR QUINN | MANAGING DIRECTOR | QVAC LTD

We are very short of engineers and with all the new refrigerants now coming into the industry we need to make sure these personnel are up-to-date with new technologies ready for the future.

Wayne Raven | Director | Just Air Conditioning

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Allcool NW Ltd are fully committed to developing the next generation of skilled engineers within our industry and have developed multiple award winning trainees. As a company we have a track record going back 47 years of bringing apprentices through into the refrigeration and air conditioning industry with many going on to own and run their own companies and hopefully develop their own apprentices.

Paul Talarczyk | Managing Director | Allcool NW Ltd

We believe in investing in the next generation and offer a comprehensive Apprenticeship programme dedicated to ensuring our apprentices gain work-based qualifications in Heating or Air Conditioning. Training and progression doesn’t end once the apprenticeship is completed, we are committed to continually upskilling our employees throughout their career and employment with us.

Marie Tarbox | Compliance Manager | Southern Maintenance Solutions UK Ltd

To improve professionalism in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning sector and to encourage more colleges to offer relevant courses.

Jane Dring-Morris | Administrator | Loughborough Air Conditioning Ltd

Campbells Air Conditioning already know apprentices are our future tradesmen, we have to train the next generation.

Campbell Birnie | MD | Campbells Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Ltd

I want to invest in my workforce to build a strong foundation to my company and to ensure the company is oriented towards a path of growth.

Rajavelu Subramaniam | Director | Baseline Airconditioning UK Ltd

HFL are committed in bringing through the next generation of apprentices. We have already shown this and we want to pledge to continue our tradition of contributing apprentices to our industry.

Liam Harrison | Technical Services Manager | HFL Building Solutions

We believe that apprentices are our future. The industry needs great engineers, and great companies need to take responsibility and build these engineers, so that great engineers can build and maintain great buildings.

Stephen Dunn | Compliance & People Director | Commercial Maintenance Services UK

We started an air conditioning apprentice 3 weeks ago, to assist us with future business development and to fill a skills gap in our industry.

Keith Gater | Director | HANSA CLIMATE HIRE AND SALES LTD

Our company has been a huge supporter of appprentices with over 35 in our system. We continue to invest as this is the only way for our industry to survive.

Neal Robinson | MD | Geoffrey Robinson Ltd

Without skills this industry will not survive.

Peter Wilson | MD | Holders Sheet Metal Ltd

"My BSE apprenticeship allows me to work and learn simultaneously. It presents tasks and challenges you could never find in a classroom such as fixing breakdown faults and arrange for replacement equipment and check and maintain instruments and machinery.

The people around me has numerous experience increases my knowledge. The apprenticeship gives me an insight into the world of work and what I can achieve and allows opportunities to progress whilst gaining recognised qualification.

I recommend doing an apprenticeship to anyone, the experience you gain is invaluable."

Shakira Green | Building Services Maintenance Engineer | Dalkia

“Before my apprenticeship I was a fabric engineer for ISS and my trade was carpentry and joinery. I commenced my apprenticeship at Cardiff and Vale college, in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, between September 2018 and December 2020.

At the end of the apprenticeship, I achieved an NVQ Level 2 in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning. I thoroughly enjoyed learning a new skill set and broadening my knowledge. I really liked the theory work involved with the course - psychometric charts and the scientific principles. This was all very fascinating to me.

I was nominated by my tutors for the Cardiff and Vale College Building Services award, for being an 'outstanding student' and ended up winning!

In May 2023 I became an Engineering Team Leader at ISS. My success story is due to the fact that I had the opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship. I would encourage anyone who is passionate about learning a new skill, to consider apprenticeships as a good option for securing a future in engineering.”

Thomas Gough | Engineering Team Leader | ISS

Interested In Becoming An Apprentice?

Have you been inspired by our testimonials and you would like to know more about apprenticeships in the United Kingdom? Follow these links below to find the right fit for you:

- Apprenticeships In England

- Apprenticeships in Wales

- Apprenticeships in Northern Ireland

- Apprenticeships in Scotland

Or If you would prefer to talk to someone about apprenticeships in building services engineering and discuss the options available to you, get in touch with our Skills Advisory Service today.

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