Why free or paid for training is beneficial to heating engineers

Be able to motivate yourself to continue training even though you may be experienced is an important attribute for any heating installer to have. New technology, products, regulations and legislation are coming out all the time, so keeping ahead of the game allows installers to provide homeowners with the best possible customer service. That being said, time spent training means not earning so it’s vital that the training is worthwhile and will really add value to the service the installer can provide. A ‘no brainer’ piece of training that every installer should take is boiler training, which most manufacturers offer for free. Installing or maintaining a boiler is an absolutely fundamental piece of equipment that plumbers and engineers will encounter on a daily basis, so being aware of the unique quirks of the main boiler brands should be considered a must. When it comes to paid for training, clearly it’s important to do a little research to ensure the course will be worth the outlay and will add tangible new skills or knowledge to an installer’s arsenal. Consulting a training school to find out which courses are best suited is advisable, as is finding out whether the courses are theoretical or practical, with it being preferable for it to be more hands on than not. A very popular course at the moment is known as the Combi Training Course, whereby installers are given the complete rundown of how a combi boiler works, how it differs and interacts with other appliances, a breakdown of it’s internal components and and installation and maintenance instruction. After this, many installers choose to do the multi meter and boiler diagnostics courses, which follow on naturally and further enhance important knowledge. Provided you select the correct courses, further training should really be seen as a long term investment, rather than a short term day of lost earnings. Training should also not be viewed as something just inexperienced or newly qualified installers should undergo. Many more canny experienced installers are signing up for training and are often very pleasantly surprised but what they didn’t know. Ultimately additional training should be good for the bottom line, improve the reputation of the heating industry and provide maximum quality service to homeowners across the UK. Article by Benjamin Clarke RELATED ARTICLES • Installers need to know about regulations as well as products 15th Oct 2015  • The importance of knowing consumers wants & needs 31st Mar 2015  • The quest to stop illegal gas fitters with the Gas Safe Register 15th Jan 2015   

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