Thumbs up for new RACHP apprenticeship
12th March 2015
UK: The industry’s proposals for a new RACHP engineering technician apprenticeship standard have been accepted today under the UK government’s Trailblazer initiative.
The new standard for refrigeration air conditioning and heat pump engineering technicians is expected to replace the current apprenticeship by the academic year 2017 to 2018.
The new three-year apprenticeship standard was driven by the Institute of Refrigeration working with a number of key employers: Enigma Environmental Services, GEA Refrigeration, Integral UK, Mitsubishi Electric, Star Refrigeration, Space Engineering Services, Carter Synergy, Adcock Refrigeration and Air conditioning, Epta Group, Sainsbury’s, Daikin Airconditioning UK and MacWhirter Air Conditioning.
Welcoming the news, IoR president, Graeme Maidment commented “It is critical for us as an industry that we lead the development of skills for the RACHP sector. The new RACHP Engineering Technician apprenticeship will make an immediate and lasting contribution to the future of the industry. “
Mindful of energy efficiency and other environmental pressures on the industry, chairman of the employer group, John Austin-Davies of Epta, added “Training to a consistent, and nationally agreed standard, is more important in this industry now than ever before. We must be confident that we have well prepared work-force to install safely and correctly, and maintain working with optimum efficiency. The Apprenticeship Trailblazer programme is the best opportunity we have to make the step-change necessary.”
Further information from the UK government website.
