This week (7th – 13th February) sees the celebration of the 15th National Apprenticeship Week which aims to showcase how apprenticeships have a positive impact on individuals, businesses and the wider economy.
Throughout the week we have been sharing local apprenticeship success stories and today we hear from Aggreko, a Swindon-based energy equipment and solutions company.
Aggreko currently provides two places per annum for apprentices to join an Advanced Apprenticeship Programme in the firm’s Temperature Control (TC) department. The trainees work closely with both members of the Temperature Control department and the wider operations team while studying Refrigeration Level 3 at Bath College.
A Temperature Control Engineer is a trained specialist involved in the planning, installation and maintenance of refrigeration, cooling and heating equipment, including fluid chillers, pumps, air handlers, air conditioning units, buffer tanks, and heaters and boilers.
Neil O’Donoghue, Regional Service Manager for Aggreko, explained, “Our apprenticeships provide an opportunity to the apprentice(s) to gain valuable skills, higher earning potential and opportunity for progression upon successful completion to prove their skillset in a truly global company on a huge variety of applications.
“The benefits to the business include improved productivity, quality as skills develop and a succession plan that allows a stream of engineers to fulfil career goals. The day release format, allows Aggreko to shape the apprentices experiences to fit the business requirement. We also have the huge benefit of having Mark Lane, our TC Apprentice Mentor, who brings a wealth of experience and an important link between Aggreko and the college.”
On working with the college, Neil added, “We have found that Bath College delivers its training and communication to an excellent standard.”
Lamar George, an apprentice at Aggreko, said, “Since the end of secondary school, I’ve always considered going down the apprenticeship route and in finding Aggreko I knew this was the place I belong.
“Due to the excellent team around me, I’ve learnt so much so quickly and I am continuing to learn more and more everyday which further makes me excited about my future within Aggreko.”
The other apprentice, Joanne Harvey, said, “So far at Aggreko I have learnt a vast amount of knowledge, from pumps to chillers, thanks to the dedicated TC team. I have really enjoyed my time so far and cannot wait to see where I will be in Aggreko in a few years.”
Anyone wanting to learn more about having an apprentice in their workplace should contact Bath College by emailing: Michael.Wood@bathcollege.ac.uk
