Dudley College lead a new standard in industry support for apprentices 

Following a series of on-going training sessions with industry heavyweight Conex Banninger, apprentices studying Level 3 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering (RACHP) have become certified installers for the brand, receiving 10-year industry training certificates to mark the occasion.  

Conex Banninger, based in Kingswinford is a specialist provider of metal fittings, valves and accessories across the globe, with their expertise trusted across a wide range of residential, commercial, industrial, air conditioning and refrigeration markets.  

As Conex’s expansion into diverse facilities such as hospitals and airports continues to grow, training sessions have now been put in place to guide students in meeting industry demands, fostering the simultaneous development of their knowledge and skills alongside their conventional studies. 

Speaking about the how the training sessions will impact students studying RACHP, Dudley College lecturer Chris Clamp said:  

“Through this training, companies are giving students up-to-date knowledge with certification that will guarantee their work competence in new methods for the next 10 years. There’s a chance that no other employees at their company may have knowledge regarding new-to-market equipment, as heat pumps are becoming greener and more commonplace, so our apprentices will be able to bring these skills back to their employer.” 

Michael Lucken, Technical Sales Manager for Conex Banninger said:  

“As press fitting is not covered in City & Guilds courses, we provide supplementary >B< MaxiPro Training for apprentices who are studying RACHP. This training helps to combat skills shortages within the industry and provide an extra layer of education for learners studying the subject.“ 

Further support for the apprentices has been received from several industry names, including Aspen and Javac, who recently conducted training sessions and donated equipment for the students to use in their studies, whilst the IOR (Institute of Refrigeration) have given learners free membership to use its learning resources and join a network of over 2300 members.  

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