100% guaranteed local work placement

The Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers state:

“Competence is a combination of practical skill, training, knowledge and experience to carry out the job in hand safely, and ensuring the installation is left in a safe condition for use. Knowledge needs to be kept up to date with changes in law, technology and safe working practice”

With that being said, each placement involves shadowing experienced heating engineers and gaining experience in a range of tasks required to sit their gas exams. Covering a range of tasks including gas safety, checks and tests, part replacement/installation, and fault diagnosis and resolution.

Each task completed is reported and filed on their performance record. Performance during the placement determines their suitability to sit their gas exams, which is the final element before qualification.

 

The Support

At Brookhouse, we provide every student with a 100% guaranteed local work placement out in the industry! With over 77% of our placements resulting in a direct offer of employment after they pass their certification exams, we have the confidence that our students are work ready as soon as they qualify and this couldn’t be possible without the support of our placement partners. We are also approached by many external companies, looking to recruit newly qualified engineers from all over the UK, confirming that our training is industry recognised nationwide. 

Some of the companies that support our courses and nurture the talent of our future gas engineers are:

• Plumbcare
• Centrica (British Gas)
• 0800 Repair
• Sanctuary Housing
• Liberty Group
• Mears Group
• Sure Maintenance
• Quality Heating Services
• TSG Building Services
• First Call Gas
• Union Plumbing & Heating
• Thirteen Group
• 50Five Group

 

How a placement programme works

Although the task requirements remain the same for each student, the placement programme with each partner may vary slightly depending on the guidelines each company works from. One of our partners, Plumbcare.com kindly shared how their placement programme is designed and how they work with each student to nurture their skills and training:

1. Each trainee is allocated to an engineer close to where they live
2. The trainee shadows the experienced engineer, accompanying them as they attend jobs throughout the day
3. During the first few days, the trainee will primarily observe their mentor engineer
4. After a few days, the trainee starts to carry out safety checks and visual inspections under supervision by their mentor
5. Once they have mastered these tests and checks, they begin to fit parts, following manufacturers’ instructions and guided by their mentor
6. Ultimately, they will participate in diagnosing faults and remedial action

 

Benefits for the Gas Industry

Placement providers give future gas engineers the opportunity to put their training to the test in a real-world environment as well as learn hands-on skills and invaluable experience. There is a significant shortage of qualified gas engineers, and it’s become more important than ever to encourage new talent into the industry. 

Due to the lack of understanding and misconceptions regarding the future for gas boilers and fitting ground source and air source heat pumps, the industry has seen a drastic decline in individuals choosing a career in gas. We want to reassure you that Gas Engineers are currently fitting millions of boilers in domestic properties as we speak, with all the existing boilers still needing servicing and maintenance, coupled with gas safety checks. 

Not only will the current maintenance demand continue to increase but one of the prerequisites to do a ground or air source heat pump course is to be ACS gas qualified, so it’s a natural progression for Gas Engineers anyway. Along with the introduction of hydrogen boilers – a mass amount of work is due to hit the industry, by way of replacing existing natural gas boilers or converting them over to run on hydrogen. 

Therefore it’s more important than ever to keep bringing new talent to the gas industry, to maintain a workforce of qualified, experienced engineers by encouraging and supporting people to train and embark on a technical career path in the early stages.

For more information about the latest developments in the gas industry, please visit our new dedicated webpage which provides a clear outline of the future in gas and reassure anyone who is interested in a career in gas, that now is the time to qualify.