HEAT, the Belfast based specialists in the design, installation and maintenance of central heating systems in the social housing market sector, has won a National Training Award.

The award which recognises outstanding achievement and success through training and development, was presented at a gala ceremony in the Culloden Hotel on Tuesday evening.

HEAT, an eaga company, won the award for their European recruitment policy and Apprentice Training Programme. Communications Officer with HEAT, Julie Brien, said: “The skills gap is the major challenge facing the construction industry today. In the heating industry, there have been far-reaching changes with the use of high efficiency boilers and renewable energy technologies.

“The traditional approach of training a young person in just one discipline is no longer relevant, as the market requires apprentices to have knowledge of electricity, gas and plumbing.”

To meet its immediate requirement, for suitably skilled staff, to counteract the impact the skills shortage was having on the delivery of its core services, HEAT devised a strategy to recruit skilled labour from EU countries and particularly the Czech Republic. It also developed an apprentice training programme to produce central heating engineers skilled in plumbing, electrics and gas.

Julie continued: “The overall benefit to HEAT is the development of a cohort of committed technical experts who will be sufficiently motivated to make long-term contributions to the company.”

Employment and Learning Minister, Sir Reg Empey, said: “HEAT is to be congratulated on its innovative solution to the shortage of skilled staff in the company. Apprenticeships are a sound response to skills shortages and HEAT is showing its commitment to building a better future for Northern Ireland.”