Mick Holian, technical service engineer at Pinder Cooling & Heating who is heading up the project said: “Introducing an internal training programme directly addresses one of the biggest issues facing the industry. The UK HVAC industry is facing a significant skills gap as the number of people retiring from the industry outpace new entrants. This is only going to get worse as current engineers get closer to retirement age. It is a serious issue for the future of the industry with a widening gap between the number of engineers needed and the number able to fix equipment. I’m doing what I can by passing on my experience to the next generation of HVAC engineers.'
It is Holian's belief that the HVAC industry as a whole lets engineers down. He continued: “There is a shortage of training resources on the ground. The 5-Day standard F-Gas (Cat 1) qualification allows an engineer to work on refrigeration & air conditioning systems, but it cannot possibly prepare them for the complexity of some modern HVAC systems. By improving the training opportunities at Pinder Cooling & Heating, we’re better preparing our engineers for what they will see in the field. It’s better for everybody: improved development for the engineer, improved productivity for the company and most importantly, it reduces time and money costs for the customer at a time when costs are rising.”
Andrew Pinder, who founded Pinder Cooling & Heating in 2016, said: “Mick has a wealth of knowledge from 42 years in the air conditioning & refrigeration industry and it would be a shame to not take advantage of that to further develop our team. The training Mick has delivered is already paying off with improved first-time fix rates, 50% fewer recalls, improved productivity and less overtime. It has also had a positive impact on engineers being comfortable asking for help when they don’t know how to resolve an issue.”
The training programme aims to cover all aspects of Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, including controls, wiring diagrams, refrigeration processes & function of parts, service tips and diagnosis methods.