World News

Industry news and insights from Europe and around the World

UK News

Latest news and developments in the United Kingdom

Products

Keep up-to-date with the latest new products and technology

Features

General articles, applications and industry analysis

Former plasterer is top fridge apprentice

John Thompson was named as Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Apprentice of the Year at last week’s BESA conference

UK: A former plasterer who took the decision to switch professions has been named Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Apprentice of the Year by contractors’ body BESA.

John Thompson, an apprentice at Turner (Dundee) Ltd, worked as a time-served plasterer for 15 years before taking the decision to retrain as a refrigeration engineer.

As part of his apprenticeship John gained an SVQ in Install, Commission and Maintain Refrigeration Systems at Glasgow Kelvin College. The College’s former apprentice of the year, he also won the Bronze medal in the national SkillFridge competition 2016.

John Thompson won through to the London final after winning BESA’a Scottish regional heat in the summer. He is seen here with SQA qualifications manager Diane Wilson

John received his award during the Association’s awards dinner, which took place following the Building and Engineering Services Association’s national conference in London last week. He reached this year’s final by winning the regional heat of BESA’s Scotland Training Awards.

More than 20 BESA Awards for excellence were presented at the awards dinner, including the national apprentice of the year accolade, which went to Lewis Buchanan of Hargreaves Ductwork.

Latest News

23rd June 2026

Enex signs €35.5m ESG-linked refinancing facility

ITALY: Enex Technologies, the Treviso-based industrial and commercial cooling equipment manufacturer, has signed a €35.5m ESG-linked refinancing agreement.
23rd June 2026

Rainer Grosse-Kracht named EPEE president

BELGIUM: Rainer Grosse-Kracht, chief technology officer at compressor manufacturer Bitzer, has been named as president of the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE).
22nd June 2026

Green group calls for end to subsidies for EVs using R1234yf

GERMANY: The influential German environmental aid association Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) is calling on the German government to end subsidies for electric cars with R1234yf refrigerants in their AC systems.
22nd June 2026

Daikin agrees $8.5m penalty over hazardous PTAC

USA: Daikin has agreed to pay an $8.5m civil penalty for failing to immediately report that one of its US-made Amana packaged terminal air conditioners could overheat.
21st June 2026

Korea project to improve refrigerant management

KOREA: The Korean Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment and the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute has announced an initiative to improve the country's HFC refrigerant management.
21st June 2026

Ammonia leak kills 7 and sends 70 to hospital

INDIA: Seven people are reported to have died and over 70 hospitalised following an ammonia gas leak at a seafood factory in Tamil Nadu.