Refrigeration Apprentice
Apeiron Catering
Office address is Ringwood - Apprentice will be required to work on site across the south
National minimum wage for age, opportunity for overtime (see 'Things to keep in mind'). Monday-Friday, 40 hours a week with a paid 30 minute lunch. Company operating hours are 7am-5pm, company happy for flexible hours in those core times
Driving licence and confident to drive a van (think Ford Transit)
This role is subject to a successful DBS check
Aperion Catering are a family run team of commercial catering engineers and equipment installers based in Ringwood, serving Bournemouth, Poole, Southampton, Eastleigh, Portsmouth, Weymouth, Basingstoke, Guildford, Salisbury, Reading, Dorchester, Chichester and surrounding areas. Our team of experienced professionals are fully qualified and complete any job with care and efficiency.
Our team comprises of six office staff and eight engineers reporting to our two Managing Directors. We pride ourselves in being a close knit team who work together cohesively and support each other as we grow rapidly as a business. Our aim is to do the simple things well. We have recently completed a project with AFC Bournemouth to complete their new training ground facility. We worked with this project end to end starting with design and completing the installation. We work with many high profile local customers.
We offer a wide range of services including break down repairs, maintenance plans, equipment sales and parts, installation and project work. As a growing organisation there will be scope for our staff to grow into new roles. We support our employees to grow with regular training schedules to keep everyone up to date with the latest equipment.
The broad purpose of a Refrigeration Engineer is to install, commission, maintain and repair commercial fridge equipment. This includes but is not limited to, undercounter, freestanding and walk in fridge and freezers. The work also includes ice machines. Equipment may be gas or electrical and may involve plumbing and electronic controls. Depending on the work required, they may spend the day at one site or working across a number of venues, working to deadlines. Aa the apprentice you will work with a fully qualified engineer to assist them in the day to day jobs and learn how this is done. You will also assist in the completion of compliance documentation and paperwork on the completion of jobs.
Installations involve unpacking and in some cases assembling equipment, connecting in accordance with the equipment manufacturer’s instructions to suitable services (gas, electricity, water and drainage) and commissioning. Where an installation involves the removal of equipment, engineers disconnect the redundant item, remove it to a safe area for disposal and make safe any services no longer required. On maintenance visits, engineers visually inspect the equipment, check the services for any problems, carry out maintenance tasks as specified by the manufacturer, and test the equipment is functioning as designed. On repair visits, engineers establish the problem from the customer, check the faulty item to confirm the problem, diagnose the fault, adjust or repair or replace faulty components, and test the equipment after repair to ensure that it is working correctly. Engineers are qualified and registered with F-gas for the types of appliances they are working on and retain their competency.
In your daily work, you will interact with venue personnel, such as chefs, catering managers, facilities managers, managers/owners and kitchen staff. Personnel from equipment manufacturers technical support services, and equipment and spares suppliers’ sales and technical staff. You may also liaise with Environmental Health Officers and other trades personnel, such as builders, electricians etc. Internally, you will interact with company management, office staff and other technicians.
Once qualified you will be responsible for planning your schedule and logistics to meet customers’ requirements and location. Reporting to the correct person in the customer’s premises and agreeing the purpose of their visit and managing customer expectations. At all times, presenting a professional image of the company. Engineers largely work on their own and unsupervised – self-managing, however occasionally on maintenance visits to larger kitchens, you may work alongside other Engineers or a Supervisor. You must ensure the quality and accuracy of work carried out, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of self and others - working in line with legislation. You will have the authority to determine action, including the disconnection or isolation of equipment. You will be responsible for ensuring that your tools and equipment are fit for purpose and that your work vehicle is roadworthy. You will also be responsible for maintaining a stock of spares to an agreed level.
Skills
- Good people skills
- Organised
- Problem solving
Personal qualities
- Confident
- Attention to detail
- Self starter with enthusiasm, flexibility and motivation
- Ability to work as an individual and as part of a team
Qualifications
GCSE 9-4/A*-C in English and maths or Functional Skills Level 2 in both, proof of certificates is required.
Due to the demands of the role, applications with less than the required grades will not be considered. Equally, applications received without stating GCSE maths and English/Functional Skills/equivalent results will not be considered.
What does the programme include?
Key activities are: the design, installation, routine maintenance, reactive service, commissioning and de-commissioning of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump systems. Technicians require a thorough competency in their understanding of the engineering principles of thermodynamics and the vapour compression cycle in order to perform operations.
Apprentices are expected to acquire the required transferrable knowledge, skills and behaviours identified in the Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician Standard and to provide evidence of their application in their specific work environment. This apprenticeship has been designed by industry representing a wide range of employers diverse in terms of size, location and type of work and supported by Professional Institutes and Trade associations.
During on-programme training apprentices must achieve the mandatory qualifications “Level 2 Certificate in F Gas and ODS Regulations Category 1, a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in either Refrigeration or Air Conditioning and a level 3 Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning” as defined in the apprenticeship standard. The F Gas Certificate, Level 2 and Level 3 certificates must be submitted as part of the Gateway. All apprentices must complete an Apprentice Development Journal on-programme. This must be completed before the apprentice can pass through to the End-point Assessment at Gateway stage, and will be used to inform the Apprentice Development Journal synopsis which the apprentice will write during the EPA period.
This standard is designed to meet the professional standards of the Engineering Council for registration as an Engineering Technician (EngTech) in partnership with the Institute of Refrigeration and CIBSE.
What attendance is required?
A 36 month apprenticeship programme delivered on a day-release basis (one day per week) at City of Portsmouth College's North Harbour Campus in North Harbour, Portsmouth. Your Apprenticeship Liaison Officer will liaise with you to set up mutually convenient times for consultation and assessment visits at your place of work.
Following successful completion of the course and End Point Assessment you will achieve the Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician apprenticeship standard which includes a Level 2 NVQ Diploma in either Refrigeration or Air Conditioning, a level 3 Diploma in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning and an F-Gas Handling Fluorinated Gases and Ozone-Depleting Substances Category 1 certificate.
Learning and assessment
The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician is a specialist occupation involved in planning, preparing and safely carrying out work activities in process, product and space cooling. Knowledge must be transferrable between any of the core activities of refrigeration, air conditioning or heat pumps.
Apprentices will spend typically 36 months on-programme working towards the apprenticeship standard, with a minimum of six hours a week off-the-job training. Off the job can consist (but is not an exhaustive list) of college attendance, homework/coursework, project related work, employer training, mentoring, and coaching.
First 24 months will be spent learning the basics of being a Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump Engineering Technician. By the end of the first 24 months the apprentice will have achieved the Level 2 NVQ that incorporates the F Gas and ODS Regulations Category 1, they must pass this to then progress onto the final 12 months which solidifies the Level 3 learning and ensures they can progress after the apprenticeship to a Supervisory role. They will cover heat load calculations, air conditioning systems etc. This ensures the apprentices finishes the education completely and so gains more employability prospects.
The End-point Assessment (EPA) will provide summative synoptic assessments to test apprentices against the full apprenticeship standard. Before accessing EPA there will be a Gateway stage at which evidence will have to be provided for each apprentice to confirm their readiness to progress to EPA.
At Gateway the employer confirms the apprentice has acquired the required knowledge, skills and behaviours to progress to Endpoint assessment. This must include a completed Apprentice Development Journal and appropriate on programme learning outcomes and must be verified by way of a Gateway Form signed by Employer and apprentice.
End-point Assessment (final 3-6 months) - apprenticeship results and grading is generated on aggregate of three assessment methods
- Knowledge and skills test - an online multiple-choice exam assessing across the knowledge requirements of the Standard. This is written, delivered and marked by the End-point Assessment Organisation (EPAO).
- Practical test - takes between 14-18 hours to complete and can be carried out over a maximum of three days. It is anticipated that a minimum of 14 hours should be allowed in order to carry out all of the test tasks specified adequately. Practical tests must be written by the EPAO in line with the specification in this End-point Assessment Plan. The assessment will be observed, documented, recorded, marked and graded by an Independent Assessor appointed by the EPAO.
- Professional interview - a focused interview with an Independent Assessor appointed by the EPAO enabling the apprentice to give evidence verbally of how they have applied the required knowledge, skills and behaviours through their work experience, drawing on examples from their Apprentice Development Journal synopsis. The synopsis itself will not be assessed as part of the Interview and will not contribute to the grading of the apprenticeship.
Performance in the EPA will determine the apprenticeship grade of Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail.
After completing the apprenticeship and with a few years of experience on the tools, a fully competent technician works without immediate supervision, and liaises effectively with other trades and with end users.
Things to keep in mind
- Holiday entitlement is 25 days inclusive of bank holidays
- Some work outside of 7am-5pm may be required but discussed in advance
- Overtime is available paid at time and a half
Future prospects
Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, and subject to progress as an employee, the job role will lead onto a Refrigeration Engineer post. The company is growing rapidly and therefore, supervisory roles will be available in the future for the right candidate.