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Apprentice Air Conditioning Engineer A A C S LTD

You will be working alongside your experienced supervisor and working as part of a diverse team toward your Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineer Apprenticeship (Level 3) Working on a varied range of projects, installations, maintenance and service jobs to give you a full understanding of the industry.

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Closing date: 24 Jan 2023

Apprenticeship summary

  • Annual wage

    £10,004.80

    Bonus scheme annually depending on performance.

    Wages explained

    Apprentices are paid for their normal working hours and training that's part of their apprenticeship (usually one day per week).

    Minimum Wage Rates

  • Working week

    Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm, there may be evening and weekend work required depending on workload. There will also be the opportunity of working away on projects. 1 day college attendance each week at Ashington

    Total hours per week: 40

  • Expected duration

    36 Months

  • Possible start date

    25 Jan 2023

  • Date posted

    28 Jul 2022

  • Apprenticeship level

    Advanced
    Level 3 (A level)

  • Reference number

    VAC1000070594

  • Positions

    1 available

What will the apprentice be doing?

You will be working alongside your experienced supervisor and working as part of a diverse team. Your duties will include:

•           Reactive response to a range of breakdowns in a range of large site environments along with smaller commercial sites and PPMs at sites as required

•           You will learn to fault find

•           You will learn to diagnose and repair within an acceptable time scale to meet our customer’s needs

•           You will carry out the work to the required standards with efficiency and quality expected by your supervisor (with support and training)

•           You will be expected to work with in the terms and conditions of your contract of employment and adhere to company policies, procedures, instructions, values and behaviours

Key activities are:

  • The design, installation, routine maintenance, reactive service, commissioning and de-commissioning of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump systems. Technicians require a thorough competency in their understanding of the engineering principles of thermodynamics and the vapour compression cycle in order to perform operations.

The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) Engineering Technician is a specialist occupation involved in planning, preparing and safely carrying out work activities in process, product and space cooling. Knowledge must be transferrable between any of the core activities of refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pumps.


The work is carried out in a variety of applications essential for UK business activities such as food production, product distribution, retail storage and display, transport and office climate control, manufacturing processes (e.g. petrochemical, pharmaceutical), IT/Datacentres and medical/healthcare services temperature and environmental control.

 

The course will require 1 day college attendance each week at Ashington.

What training will the apprentice take and what qualification will the apprentice get at the end?

All apprentices will work towards achieving a Level 2 Certificate in F Gas and ODS Regulations Category 1, a legal requirement under the EU F Gas Regulation 517/2014 to work on equipment containing Fluorinated Refrigerants.


Assessments will take place both during and at the end of the apprenticeship, with completion being dependent on successful achievement of the qualification elements, the off the job hours (20% of the duration of the apprenticeship) a Journal synopsis and an End Point Assessment (EPA).


The EPA will take place after all parties (apprentice, employer and the college) agree that the Apprentice is ready and includes a Multiple choice test, a Practical Test over 2-3 days and a professional discussion all of which are assessed by an Independent Assessor.


Apprentices will be assigned a college Trainer/Assessor who will monitor their progress both in college and on site. Apprentices are required to keep a training log of evidence generated in the workplace and to attend college on a day release (every week) in order to study the theoretical aspects of the apprenticeship and enhance their practical skills in preparation for the EPA.

What is the expected career progression after this apprenticeship?

Skills that you will develop on the job will include - 

Safe working practices

  • Installation, commissioning, testing, fault diagnostics, rectification of systems, component/refrigerant suitability and selection
  • Working with pressure systems and electrical circuits and systems
  • Evaluating and mitigating risks of refrigerants including toxicity, flammability and other potential risks or hazards to self and the general public.
  • Decommissioning, safe recovery and disposal of equipment and hazardous waste transfer


Control circuit application

  • Electrical and electronic control systems setting, testing and fault finding; and their integration with system-associated communication networks.

Mechanical operations

  • Positioning, fixing, jointing and testing of pipework, electrical circuits and water circuits where relevant.

Application of mathematical principles

  • Determining heating and cooling loads and selecting and balancing appropriate components and systems for maximum performance and efficiency.

Sustainable system operation

  • Using system operating parameters for efficient performance to achieve measurable and sustained reductions in carbon emissions.
  • Routine and reactive service and maintenance, testing, fault finding, reporting and rectification.
  • Retrofitting and retrofilling of existing equipment to lower GWP refrigerants including safety, reliability and environmental considerations.

With experience, you could become a refrigeration engineer, designing cooling systems, or move into building services engineering, electrical or plumbing.

You could also set up your own business.

Requirements and prospects

Desired skills and personal qualities

Communication skills, Attention to detail, Customer care skills, Problem solving skills, Logical, Team working, Creative, Initiative, Non judgemental, Patience, Physical fitness

Qualifications

GCSE or equivalent English (Grade 9-4) Essential
GCSE or equivalent Mathematics (Grade 9-4) Essential

Things to consider

Adults who are aged 19+ with or without appropriate industry experience but with the necessary qualifications are welcome to apply. The role will require manual work, on building sites and outdoors in all weather conditions.

About the employer

We pride ourselves on being a highly respected Air Conditioning and Refrigeration contractor. ​ ​AACS Limited specialise in the Design, Supply, Installation, Service and Maintenance of HVAC/R systems in a wide range of sectors. From Offices to Manufacturing Facilities, we offer a wealth of knowledge to ensure compliance and quality service every time. Since 1990 AACS Limited have operated in the North East. Our heart is the North East. ​ We are proud to serve the North East.

Employer

A A C S LTD

Address

UNIT H1

WASHINGTON BUSINESS CENTRE

2 TURBINE WAY

SR5 3NZ

Contact

Ben

ben@aacslimited.co.uk

07802913809

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Training

Training provider

CITY OF SUNDERLAND COLLEGE

Apprenticeship standard

Refrigeration air conditioning and heat pump engineering technician

Level 3 (A level)

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