Ideal Boilers has launched a pilot trainee diagnostic engineer programme with three students.

The students are ex-army Mark Cooper, Jordan Breden, who has just left college, and Zoe Field from Ideal’s technical support team.

Ideal’s customer service director, Chris Jessop said: “This scheme is not just about our trainees gaining the qualifications necessary to be diagnostic engineers, but has been designed to provide real work experience. This structured course is an investment in them, providing extra skills that will help build their careers.”

He continued: “The programme will take between two and two and a half years, with 13 eight week assessment modules, which link into the requirements of the gas certification including health and safety, manual handling, pipework and required electrics. Our trainees have covered a lot of the basic theory already, which will be reinforced by practical experience gained at Ideal. They will be able to ease into the industry with outstanding support, starting off by going out with the service engineers and progressing to callouts.”

He added: “Each trainee will work with four engineers, who will spend time on the road with them, instructing them and encouraging them to learn while on the job.”

“The scheme is one way Ideal is supporting the industry by investing in the future. We hope to provide trainees with real industry experience at the highest level, starting them on a career path to join those held in high regard within the industry, being manufacturers’ diagnostic engineers.

Chris concluded: “Their final qualifications will be a full portfolio of the certificates required for a diagnostic engineer, coupled with a wealth of experience working for a manufacturer. This intake is planned to be the first in an ongoing programme of traineeships.”

Pictured left to right are: Mark, Zoe, Luke (senior service engineer, involved in training, at the back) and Jordan