Daikin, in partnership with Bolton College, is launching a recruitment campaign to engage five apprentices for its Level 3 Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship programme.

The trailblazing course is being rolled out for the first time this year, so the apprentices will be amongst the first in the UK to achieve this qualification. The cutting-edge training is crucial for jobs that bridge the green skills gap to meet the increasing demand for low carbon technology, and to futureproof careers as we strive towards decarbonising the UK on our journey to net zero.

Previous apprentices who already completed their low carbon heating apprenticeships with Daikin UK to become qualified Junior Service Engineers include Alfie Phillips, who chose to work for Daikin and learn directly from some of the most experiences engineers in the country, and Ethan Aubert who had a strong interest in getting into a skilled trade, loves a challenge and wanted a role that would push him to keep learning and growing ; the technical nature of this industry fitted that perfectly.

This initiative marks a significant step in promoting green skills and supporting the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s (GMCA) target to be carbon neutral by 2038. The five apprentices will be recruited directly from the Greater Manchester area and Daikin plans to recruit a significant number of additional apprentices from the GMCA area in the coming years.

This initial three-year programme will start in February 2025. The apprentices will gain cutting-edge skills and knowledge to become leaders in the low-carbon heating sector, plugging the green-skills gap, future-proofing their careers and contributing to a greener future. They will split their time between learning on the job with qualified engineers, and classroom training at Bolton College.

A further four apprentices from Robert Heath Heating (RHH), who are part of the Daikin Group, will join the apprentices recruited from the GMCA area, as part of a dedicated “Daikin Class” at Bolton College. This commitment highlights the high-quality training that the College delivers. The RHH apprentices will be based outside the GMCA area.

Commenting on the programme, Iain Bevan, Daikin UK’s Residential New Business Director said: “The launch of the Low Carbon Heating Apprenticeship scheme underlines Daikin’s commitment to helping GMCA achieve its net zero ambitions. The apprenticeships will open the door to long term, secure careers at the heart of the low carbon heating revolution.”

The initiative builds on Daikin’s and GMCA’s shared commitment to sustainability and the decarbonisation of Manchester.

The programme serves as a key milestone in the partnership, complementing flagship projects like Embassy Village – a groundbreaking homelessness project in Manchester where Daikin is installing heat pumps and offering training bootcamps, to help its residents acquire green skills and secure employment in the HVAC industry.

In addition, Daikin is set to open an all-new training centre in Manchester in Spring 2025, significantly enhancing its training capacity. The new centre will more than triple the number of engineers the Company can train each year, from around 1,800 to approximately 6,000.

This development reflects Daikin’s ongoing commitment to advancing skills and addressing the growing need for highly trained professionals in the industry.