From gas boiler installer to heat pump installer
The UK government is committed to reducing our national carbon footprint by moving away from gas boilers, announcing recently that there are to be no new gas boilers sold after 2035.
Reaching this point hasn’t been straightforward, with reports from the Climate Change Committee stating: “The chopping and changing of UK Government policy has led to a skills gap in housing design, construction and in the installation of new technologies”.
A viable alternative to gas boilers also needs to be found.
Heat pumps
One leading answer is the use of ground and air source heat pumps. Broadly speaking, these work in the same way as a fridge, albeit in reverse! Using (hopefully renewably-sourced) electricity, they pump heat from the outside environment into the home.
A workforce capable of supporting the transition
130,000 people currently work in gas boilers installation and maintenance.
We have researched how to upskill or reskill these professionals to ensure their future employability and help the UK reach its climate goals; in effect, plotting out a viable career change for current domestic gas engineers.
Our approach
Enginuity uses cutting-edge machine learning which enables us to integrate different skills data. This means, regardless of how the skill is written, we can take value out of numerous sources:
Overlapping skills
Customer focus, attention to detail and professionalism were key behaviours that will not change during the transition to heat pumps.
Additionally, qualifications such as Gas Safe, unvented hot water systems, and non-refrigerant circuit knowledge are passed across.
Missing skills
Key to the upskilling work is specific heat pump product installation and maintenance knowledge. These are dictated by the manufacturers but Enginuity found a host of level 3 awards that would ensure well rounded knowledge.
Enginuity used personal information (CVs) and so it produces personalised learning objectives for current domestic gas engineers.
If you would like to learn more, please sign up to the upcoming webinars by registering your interest below.
Our aim is to cut through the data and make our insight meaningful so you can use it to drive decision making in your workplace. We’d also love your input on how our tools can work for you and your workforce skill challenges.
Choose from our list of webinars or opt in for a more interactive discussion of your challenges.
