In recent years, there’s been a trend for the younger generations to move away from more traditional electrical and mechanical engineering roles.
The number of new people entering the building controls industry has dwindled, but our appetite for more control and more data collection from our buildings has never been greater. This divergence of requirement vs skillset isn’t felt greater anywhere than with legacy products in older buildings. Buildings will see out multiple BEMS upgrades, usage changes, refurbishments, and extensions throughout their lifecycle. But without skilled staff entering the industry to learn a solid theoretical and practical foundation alongside time-served engineers, key knowledge and experience will be lost forever, and with it our ability to provide services to older buildings will become more difficult.
…without skilled staff entering the industry to learn a solid theoretical and practical foundation alongside time-served engineers, key knowledge and experience will be lost forever
Simon Wood – Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, learnd
BEMS Apprenticeship
With this problem in mind, the Building Controls Industry Association have been working hard with a Trailblazer group of employers from across the industry to develop an apprenticeship scheme for new entrants.
Following four years of hard work, the BCIA recently started its first cohort of Level 4 Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) Controls Engineer Apprentices.
Here at learnd, we’re delighted that we have eight apprentices spread across our controls businesses throughout the UK. These apprentices are from different background; some are completely new to the industry, others have worked for us for years and are seeking new opportunities or formalization of knowledge.
In the coming weeks, we will be shining a light on our apprentices in an effort to illustrate the rewarding nature of the BEMS industry and to encourage others to enrol onto the apprenticeship. The coming years are sure to be exciting for new entrants, as the industry faces new challenges from energy legislation, new usability requirements, and new health challenges like those brought on by COVID over the last year.
Current Guest Posts
Isabel Lamb – BEMS Apprentice in our Projects dept in the South West
Joshua Spall – BEMS Apprentice in our Service dept in the North of England
