Daikin helps tackle skills shortage hands-on
To help tackle the skills shortage in the air-conditioning and refrigeration industry, Daikin Airconditioning UK has donated a VRV air-conditioning system to Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education. The institute has teamed up with air-conditioning installer Airco of Hull to introduce a new and bespoke multi-skilled apprenticeship scheme. The 3-year course is aimed at 16- to 19-year olds working towards a multi-skill engineering Advanced Modern Apprenticeship. Airco already has 26 apprentices on the course, and six more join each year. Simon Wilson, a director at Airco, says, ‘The skills shortage has loomed large over the air-conditioning industry for a number of years. An aging 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 industrial vacancies. By working in partnership with the 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 products allow 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.’
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