Modern Building Services

6 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES APRIL 2021 INDUSTRY NEWS UK boiler manufacturers lead EU in committing to hydrogen future, PM told The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) has written to the Prime Minister confirming they have reached agreement in principle with UK boiler manufacturers, that they will support any future UK Government legislation which mandates all new models of domestic boilers to be “hydrogen-ready” from 2025. This commitment is several years ahead of similar action being proposed within the EU. FREE Heat Pump Training The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) is launching the industry’s only online training course for heat pump installation to help fill a skills gap highlighted by the government’s flagship Green Homes Grant voucher scheme. BESA is developing the installer training in collaboration with the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and heating equipment manufacturer Worcester Bosch. It will be delivered through the Association’s online training Academy and goes live in March. To kickstart the scheme 700 free places are being offered to qualified plumbing and heating engineers looking to upskill and carry out heat pump work. They should sign up now as demand is expected to be high and there will be a charge for the training fromMay. This initiative is also receiving funding from the department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) as government officials recognise the need to accelerate specialised training to support the grant scheme, which has been extended until March 2022, and to ensure air source heat pumps are correctly installed and maintained. Colossal opportunity BESA’s head of technical Graeme Fox said the heat pump market represented “an absolutely colossal opportunity” for suitably qualified engineers but warned that the industry would have “to rapidly scale up capacity and needed considerable investment in additional skills to deliver all these hugely ambitious targets”. Industry estimates for this year put the current number of heat pump installations at around 71,000. So, ramping that up to achieve the government’s ultimate target would require a huge leap in headcount for the industry. The BESA Academy training scheme is a direct response to that challenge, according to the Association’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet. To register your interest visit: www.thebesa.com/academy/ heatpumpsinstaller PEOPLE J SWright appoints new HR Manager Birmingham-based mechanical and electrical building services specialist J SWright has appointed Darrell Mitchell as its new Human Resources Manager. Based at the Aston headquarters of the 131-year-old company, Darrell will be responsible for leading J S Wright’s HR team and developing an HR strategy that incorporates the company’s values and culture. With 25 years of experience in senior HR roles, Darrell was previously an HR consultant writing and delivering his own onlinemanagement training courses. Before that he spent five years leading the HR function for themaintenance and development teams of a large housing, maintenance and care company. Smith Brothers Stores have recently introduced Regional Product Specialist to the business Their job is to provide product support to both SBS staff and customers, especially focusing on the exclusive brands to SBS of Aquatechnik, Frabo & Isotubi. From top left to bottom right: Paul Berry (top left), Andrew Martin (top right), Clinton Thacker (bottom right) and Andrea Vignola (bottom left). Something positive in a time where the industry (and the world) continues to face uncertainty. www.sbs.co.uk/sbs-news/introducing-our-regional-product-specialists/ Fernox strengthensManagementTeamwith European Commercial Director Fernox has announced the appointment of Charel Marais as the company’s new European Commercial Director. With over 17 years’ experience in the HVAC industry, Charel brings a wealth of knowledge to his new role at Fernox to lead strategy as the company continues to grow and develop operations within Europe. The new appointment builds upon the recent hire of Sandra Braga who is responsible for Financial Planning and Analysis for Fernox and is also part of the strengthened management team, underpinning Fernox’s commitment to making 2021 a year of significant growth. Based in Eindhoven, Charel will oversee all commercial operations and is strategically positioned to serve customers within the region. Having worked in prominent positions within the HVAC sector across the Netherlands, South Africa and the UK, Charel has developed a customer- centric approach to business, stressing the importance of being prepared to go the extra mile to deliver genuine customer satisfaction. For more information about Fernox, please visit: www.fernox.com George Lee appointed new Executive Officer of BCIA The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has announced that George Lee will be taking over the role of Executive Officer, following the retirement of Roger Borer who has been in post for the last four years. George is an experienced Trade Association executive having previously been CEO at Highways TermMaintenance Association (2017 to 2020) and Road Safety Markings Association (1997 to 2017), during which time he also founded stakeholder, public relations and communications consultancy Blue Symmetry. George’s trade association experience has focused on directly representing sector business interests, establishing and delivering customer focused services, and building effective and sustainable cross sector communications and knowledge networks. This expertise is drawn from public policy, stakeholder management and media experience, developed throughout his career and is reflected in high-level interaction with government departments such as BEIS and key sector stakeholder groups and regulators.