George the Project Engineer with a desire to learn and progress..
Hi my name is George. When I left school in 2011 I went to start my apprenticeship in refrigeration at J&E Hall. My current job is Project Engineer at FJB Systems LLP
How did you start working at in the RACHP industry? Through my apprenticeship.
What attracted you to the industry? I was interested in getting an apprenticeship and J&E Hall had a very good reputation locally.
What kind of training did you receive - i.e. apprenticeship, NVQ, etc and how long for? I received a 4 year apprenticeship. This included 3 years of training, including block release study at The Grimsby Institute. The courses were NVQ Levels 2 & 3 in refrigeration & air-conditioning. The training also included City & Guilds 2078 & 2079 (F-Gas & Ammonia Handling).
What do you specialise in now, or what kind of projects do you work on? How different is it to your previous role? I am currently working for FJB Systems. I have had the opportunity of working on a number of diverse projects in the 7 months I have been here. These projects are mainly for UK supermarket and logistics companies. The role is very different from my previous roles at J&E Hall and GEA Service UK. I have changed from a service engineer role to a consultancy role.
How has being in different roles been of benefit to you and the job you do for customers? The majority of consultancy work I have been carrying out, has been in reference to refrigeration plant maintenance and improvements. My time as a service engineer has helped me to enter this new role very smoothly.
What do you enjoy most about your job, and what are the biggest challenges you face? I enjoy investigating problems and researching how to overcome them so that I can give the best possible solution to the customer.
Any general career highlights? :
1. Completing my apprenticeship at J&E Hall.
2. Winning the RAC Student of the year award in 2015.
3. Obtaining my job at FJB Systems.
What do you like about your job? I work with a great team and have a great manager, whom I continue to learn so much from. I also really enjoy helping the customer to get the outcome they had hoped for.
Where do you see your role progressing in the next few years? I hope to be furthering my progress at FJB, given more responsibility on new projects and to be progressing through my degree.
What advice would you give to young people who are just starting a similar career to you? The RACHP industry is a brilliant industry to be in. It is an industry that will never “go away” and is an industry that will always be progressing and researching to improve in the future. Progressing this far has not been easy, there have been many long days, early mornings and late nights. There has also been lots of self-study and voluntary work involved to get to where I am today. I also know that I have so much to learn. I think that you need to have the desire to learn and progress otherwise you will gradually fall behind in this constantly evolving industry.
How has being a member of the IOR helped your career development? Being a member of the IOR has helped me to meet and converse with great people in this industry. Being a member of the IOR also gives me access to a lot of great documentation, including many guidance notes, that I use regularly