The new apprenticeship programs demonstrate Vital’s commitment to developing the key industry skills required to achieve net zero and create a sustainable workforce for the future.
Having pledged to recruit 20 apprentices across the UK, Vital is proud to be joining forces with The City of Liverpool College, which will deliver the curriculum from the £2 million state-of-the-art Training Academy located at Vital’s Blackburn headquarters, for two pathways: Craft and Technical.
Both pathways will take apprentices on an energy journey where they will learn and work within the renewable energy and heat networks market. They will discover how energy is generated and distributed, and how to manage and reduce consumption for residential and commercial clients. Apprentices will also learn how carbon emissions are reduced through Vital’s renewable technologies and the innovative products they have developed.
The programs will be delivered via a blended mix of virtual online teaching and a minimum of 25 days curriculum learning each year within the Training Academy.
Apprentices will spend the majority of their time on-site working on exciting projects, where they will pick up a wealth of skills through hands-on experience and support from Vital’s experienced and knowledgeable team.
Vital Energi’s Manging Director for the North & Scotland, Mike Cooke, completed an apprenticeship at The City of Liverpool College and he believes this formed a great foundation for his successful career path.
“I loved the apprentice program at The City of Liverpool College,” said Cooke.“ At 18 years old this was my first opportunity to experience independence and life in the city. My apprenticeship provided me with social, interpersonal, and technical skills which have been the platform of my career, and even though the pay was significantly less than Vital’s offer today, I’ve been able to progress through my career without being saddled with tuition fees and student loans. A real and genuine upside.”
Liverpool City Region has an ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2040 and The City of Liverpool College is focussed on developing its curriculum around the needs of industry, creating a workforce for the future by developing the skills needed to enter the world of work in sustainable careers.
Sophie Park, Director of Workforce Skills at The City of Liverpool College, said, “Our partnership with Vital Energi is built on the knowledge and skills of its engineers and our innovative curriculum leaders at The City of Liverpool College. Working with progressive, exciting organisations such as Vital Energi helps us to continue to innovate and provide our students with the skills they need to enter the workforce and forge successful, sustainable careers.
“This new state of the art training center will play an essential role in developing the skills needed to deliver our low carbon future.”
During the three-year Craft program, apprentices will study for a Level 3 Building Services Engineering Craftsperson qualification. They will learn a range of key skills from pipework fabrication and jointing techniques such as electro fusion jointing, to welding, the installation of plumbing and heating systems, and more.
At the end of the Technical program, apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Building Services Design Technician qualification, after developing their understanding of building services design principles.
As well as using project management systems to ensure timeframes and budgets are adhered to, apprentices will work alongside the commercial team to understand contractual agreements and review the financial performance of a project, produce technical reports, plus more.
