ITS NOT GAS, ITS REFRIGERANT!

I am constantly being told by heating/gas engineers and plumbers that ‘they know all about gas’.  Therefore, they won’t have a problem, they already know all about it.

While refrigerant is often called gas, it is NOT!

Anyone who has attended here with this misconceived idea has had a shock and they quickly tell us ‘it’s nothing like gas’ which is quite correct.

Likewise, with brazing, it’s nothing like soldering copper pipe.

And by the way, nor is the pressure the same! We are talking about systems that work up to 40 bar and need to be tested up to 42 bar??

With so much new to learn, candidates also need to understand the ‘F Gas’ is a basic entry level qualification about how to handle refrigerants ONLY, why the legislation is there and how to protect the environment.  It does NOT make you an air conditioning engineer!

Reopening 29th June 2020

We are very glad to welcome our students back on 29th June with all our Covid-19 measures in place (now the new normal!)

COVID-19 News 20th May 2020

Currently, Government advice is that limited numbers of school children may be returning to school on 1^st June, with the possibility of some 16-19 year olds returning.

They advise that further education colleges may ‘begin some face to face support with year 10 and 12 pupils (only), although we do not expect these pupils to return on a full-time basis at this stage’.

This position will be reviewed on 30th May when further information will be available.

We are obviously anxious to reopen but regard too swift a reopening to be reckless as we must safeguard the health of our staff and students alike.  To this end we will obviously be working within Public Health England and Government guidelines, our COVID-19 Risk Assessment is available.

Training will look quite different going forward, as too will our Training Centre, where we are currently setting the scene for the ‘new normal’.

Watch this space for further updates.

Closed BUT Open for Business

We unfortunately had to close our doors to students on Friday 20^th March 2020 however we are very much open for business and are here to take your calls and enquires regarding your training requirements so please do get in touch if we can be of any assistance.

These are worrying times for us all but going forward we must look to the future and training will be very much a part of that.

Go carefully and stay well.

COVID-19

It is with much sadness that I regret to inform you following the Government’s announcement to close ALL schools, colleges and nurseries, that we will be closing on Friday 20^th March 2020.

We expect this closure to be in place for at least two months but will obviously reschedule and re-open as soon as we are able.

The welfare and wellbeing of our students and staff is of paramount importance to us and we believe we are morally obliged to follow the instructions to help preserve the health of the old and vulnerable in society.

Going forward we will be offering all candidates the opportunity to do ‘sofa study’ courses wherever possible by logging into our live tutorials via any digital device, further details to be announced shortly.

We wish you well in these difficult times and look forward to speaking with you soon.

Coronavirus COVID-19

We take Coronavirus COVID-19 extremely seriously and are doing everything possible to mitigate the risk to our students.

Our cleaners have initiated a cleaning programme using products to help reduce the risk and we also clean door handles, switches, work surfaces etc. during the day.

We have provided sanitisers at the entrance and around the building to reduce the possibility of transmission, should anyone be carrying the virus and are asking students to wash their hands thoroughly on a regular basis.

If possible, please ask your candidates to bring their own sanitiser.

There is no reason NOT to attend courses and rest assured we are keeping a close eye on developments and will act accordingly.

In the meantime if any of your staff/candidates answer YES to any of the questions below:-

1. Have you visited Mainland China, Japan, Hong-Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Macao, South Korea or Singapore recently?

2. Have you visited Europe in the past 14 days?

3. Have any family members, who reside with you, been to any of the above locations or exposed to the Coronavirus COVID-19 within the last 14 days?

4. Do you currently have any flu-like symptoms, cough or fever?

Please contact us immediately so that we can rearrange their training.

As the situation changes we will take measures, as we see fit, to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff alike.

New Era, New charity

We are thrilled that in this new decade, we have decided to support Moorfields Eye Hospital as our favoured charity.

None of us can function well without sight and having been party to many of the advances that have been made over the last few decades due to the research done by Moorfields, it is a deserving charity.

Having raised almost £25k for Help for Heroes over the past decade, we have decided, with the help of our student’s donations to the coffee machine, to spread the love to another, well deserving charity.

We hope that you will continue with your support of our charity when you next visit and would like to thank you in advance.

No Deal Brexit and F Gas Certificates

Some important information issued by REFCOM

https://www.refcom.org.uk/news/no-deal-brexit-and-f-gas-certificates/

Looking for an Apprentice/Looking for an Apprenticeship

There isn’t a week goes by without being asked if we know of anyone looking for a position as an Apprentice/Trainee/Improver and not a week when we are not asked if we know of anyone looking to employ someone who is wishing to train.

Sadly, its rare we can fit the two together although we do try really hard to do so.

Its usually the case that when we know of an opening, we don’t have a candidate in that area of the country and visa versa.

To that end we are opening a register so that companies looking to employ and train can register the fact and likewise, candidates who are looking for an opening can also register with the hope that we may be able to help in some way.

If either of these scenarios apply to you, please get in touch via our Contact Page

Employer Guide to Apprenticeships

The National Apprenticeship Service has issued a new guide for Employers of Apprentices.

Its an extremely useful document, updating employers looking to take on an Apprentice and wishing to train them, using their Levy Funds.  It explains the benefits, responsibilities, apprenticeship reforms and the Apprenticeship Levy.

What we thought was especially interesting was the Quick Guide for Employers dealing with the ‘Myths’ surrounding the Apprenticeship programme.

Click the link for more information

There are NO MYTHS about it, as an ‘RACHP Specialist’ on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers, if you wish to enrol an Apprentice, give us a call.  We are enrolling now for starts in December 2018.

Understanding the Requirements of the New Apprenticeships in RACHP for Levy Paying Employers

There has long been recognition that the current Apprenticeship Programme does not achieve the high standard of skills and knowledge required by todays industry and that there is a dire shortage of suitably skilled technicians.  Today’s engineers need a high level of knowledge and skills to work with more complex systems with an increasing emphasis on energy efficiency and the environment.

To achieve this, the new Trailblazer Apprenticeship has been developed to stand alongside the new funding rules whereby larger companies pay into the Levy and can use their account to train their Apprentices, (or those of another company).  Funds expire 24 months after they enter an employer’s account if unused.

 These funds MUST be spent with a registered Training Provider of THE LEVY PAYERS’ CHOICE.

• The Levy can ONLY be spent to fund new Apprenticeships.
• The Employer/Training Provider/Apprentice must work in partnership together as never before.
• Candidates will preferably hold Maths and English at Level 2 prior to commencement (or must achieve them)
• Contracts must be put in place between all parties
• There must be agreed working hours
• There must be a minimum Apprentice wage paid
• 20% of the Apprentices time must be spent in training ‘off the job’
• 80% of the Apprentices time at work ‘on the job’
• Each Apprentice must have a Mentor at work
• Detailed records MUST be kept (all documented and authenticated) by all parties
• Employer/Apprentice MUST commit to a three year training programme
• An End Point Assessment to be completed at the end of the programme
• The End Point Assessment is carried out by an INDEPENDENT Assessment Organisation (chosen by the Employer)
• On successful completion the ESFA will issue an Apprenticeship certificate to the Employer.

We can accept contracts from Levy Paying Employers for the RACHP Apprenticeship!

• We are a Registered Main Provider with the Education, Skills and Funding Agency (ESFA)
• We have therefore passed due diligence, capability, competence and financial health (rated outstanding)
• We are an Independent Training Provider approved to offer this Apprenticeship
• We have been successfully delivering this type of training for over 27 years
• We can offer you a comprehensive service
• We will assess your candidates prior to enrolment
• We will provide training to YOUR MENTORS and provide ongoing support to them
• We will support your Apprentices and mentor them throughout their Apprenticeship
• We will train your Apprentices to our normal high standards
• We will ensure your apprentices are only ever part of a small group (12-16 max)

To find out more about this course please click here

Level 3 6090

After a successful visit from our City & Guilds External Quality Assurance Verifier we have now been able to obtain the certificates for our first group of successful candidates who completed their Level 3 qualification recently.

The EQA commended us on the high standard of work produced by our students ‘relating to complex RAC Systems’ especially in the 301/302/303 units that require load calculations, equipment selection and balancing and commissioning and performance testing.

Staff were also praised for the standard the learners achieved and their dedicated efforts in delivering this complex systems qualification.