HVCA puts training top of its 2005 agenda

Apprentice recruitment and training in the building-services sector has been declared the top priority for 2005 of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association. There will be a renewed effort to convince employers that there are real commercial advantages to be gained from investing in training new entrants. Underlying the initiative will be the release of a series of case studies focusing on employers with outstanding training records. They will show how their belief and investment in training young people has paid off. The training drive comes when there is a growing number of young people interested in seeking a career in building-services engineering and when, after a number of false dawns, there is a viable modern-apprenticeship in place combining college study with practical on-the-job learning with sponsoring employers. Tony Thomas, head of education and training at HVCA, says, ‘We firmly believe that in these ever-more competitive times, employers that take on apprentices, with a corresponding investment in their training, will have a long-term skills base that can deliver a winning edge.’