Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician Apprentice ASTER MAINTENANCE LTD

Our highly qualified Engineers are committed to sharing their wealth of knowledge with you. They will take you under their wing, guiding you through the intricacies of the industry. You'll be right there with them, getting your hands dirty, learning how to install, maintain, and troubleshoot refrigeration and air conditioning systems.

As the apprentice you will learn from your mentor any of the following, each day can be very different:

• Working on heating and cooling split systems, technical service and troubleshooting.


• Learning about different types of commercial air conditioning plant including modern and older systems, split systems, close-control equipment and packaged chiller and associated equipment and controls.


• Gaining technical knowledge and experience of working on light commercial refrigeration plant, including cellar coolers, cold-rooms, undercounter fridges, ice machines etc.


• Learning about efficient diagnostic skills and reporting.


• Gaining a practical understanding of heating and ventilation systems generally, within a commercial building services environment.


• Learning how to carry out general planned maintenance works to HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) plant and equipment. The term HVAC is used to describe a complete home comfort system that can be used to heat and cool a home, as well as provide improved indoor air quality.


• Learning how to manage and maintain accurate and up to date records of all work carried out on plant and equipment utilising our field service software system and some paper-based site logs where necessary.


• Building effective working relationships with colleagues, clients, customers and work as part of a team.


• Becoming confident and learn the up to date relevant legislation., A 36 month apprenticeship programme delivered on a day-release basis (one day per week) at City of Portsmouth College's North Harbour Campus in North Harbour, Portsmouth.
  
  During on-programme training apprentices must achieve the mandatory qualifications "Level 2 Certificate in F Gas and ODS Regulations Category 1, a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in either Refrigeration or Air Conditioning and a level 3 Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning" as defined in the apprenticeship standard. The F Gas Certificate, Level 2 and Level 3 certificates must be submitted as part of the Gateway., Following successful completion of the course and End Point Assessment you will achieve the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician apprenticeship standard which includes a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in either Refrigeration or Air Conditioning, a level 3 Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and an F-Gas Handling Fluorinated Gases and Ozone-Depleting Substances Category 1 certificate.


Learning and assessment

The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump 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.

Apprentices will spend typically 36 months on-programme working towards the apprenticeship standard, with a minimum of six hours a week off-the-job training. Off the job can consist (but is not an exhaustive list) of college attendance, homework/coursework, project related work, employer training, mentoring, and coaching.

First 24 months will be spent learning the basics of being a Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician. By the end of the first 24 months the apprentice will have achieved the Level 2 NVQ that incorporates the F Gas and ODS Regulations Category 1, they must pass this to then progress onto the final 12 months which solidifies the Level 3 learning and ensures they can progress after the apprenticeship to a Supervisory role. They will cover heat load calculations, air conditioning systems etc. This ensures the apprentices finishes the education completely and so gains more employability prospects.

End-point Assessment (final 3-6 months) - apprenticeship results and grading is generated on aggregate of three assessment methods

• Knowledge and skills test - an online multiple-choice exam assessing across the knowledge requirements of the Standard.


• Practical test - takes between 14-18 hours to complete and can be carried out over a maximum of three days. It is anticipated that a minimum of 14 hours should be allowed in order to carry out all of the test tasks specified adequately. Practical tests must be written by the EPAO in line with the specification in this End-point Assessment Plan.


• Professional interview - a focused interview with an Independent Assessor appointed by the EPAO enabling the apprentice to give evidence verbally of how they have applied the required knowledge, skills and behaviours through their work experience, drawing on examples from their Apprentice Development Journal synopsis. The synopsis itself will not be assessed as part of the Interview and will not contribute to the grading of the apprenticeship.


Performance in the EPA will determine the apprenticeship grade of Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail., Communication skills, Attention to detail, Organisation skills, Customer care skills, Problem solving skills, Logical, Team working, Creative, Initiative, Patience, GCSE or equivalent English (Grade 4/C/Functional Skills Level 2) Essential
GCSE or equivalent Maths (Grade 4/C/Functional Skills Level 2) Essential,
• 23 days and bank holidays. Pension (when eligible). Uniform provided - polo shirts, hoodie, trousers, boots, PPE. A full enhanced DBS check will be performed for the successful apprentice as the sites we attend require these checks. We ideally need someone who can drive or be happy to travel to the sites independently. Arrangements could be made with the supervisor engineer where pick ups can be made, but this will highly depend on the punctuality and flexibility of you.
  
  Aster Building Services are based in Hartley Wintney and are specialists in commercial refrigeration, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The company was set up in March 2004, we currently have 8 engineers working full time with various skills and qualifications. We work on installations, maintenance contracts and call outs.
  
  You could reduce your training time, or finish your apprenticeship faster, if you have relevant prior learning or experience. This could be relevant:


• training


• qualifications, like an NVQ in a relevant field


• industry or sector experience