04 February 2026
|
Indoor climate solutions company Zehnder Group UK has opened a new education facility designed to advance skills and knowledge across the UK heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry.
The Zehnder Academy, at Camberley in Surrey, aims to address the increasing skills gap in the HVAC sector and reduce the large number of poor installs currently being seen across the country.
The academy contains a simulated indoor environment, in the form of a working apartment, with fully operational heating, cooling and ventilation units for testing and experimentation. It also features a Posi-Joist ‘rig’ – designed with partner MiTek – for design, ducting and connector training.
The practical and academic training modules will span all elements of the design, install, commissioning and maintenance process, which tracks to the Future Homes Standard legislation coming into effect from December 2026.
Zehnder Group UK Commercial Director, Stuart Smith, said: “While the UK boasts some of the best specialist mechanical and electrical (M&E) contractors, without a national qualification, there are simply not enough who are ventilation-qualified and can do the job. This is resulting in uncompetitive quotes, shortcuts being taken, and a worryingly high number of poor installations being seen - and so the cycle continues.
“We know that in the UK there are still untrained tradespeople installing and commissioning ventilation systems with little or no knowledge. Once installed, many of these MVHR systems are left unmaintained and/or not serviced, leading to further issues down the line. That’s not a criticism. It’s a sign of a bigger problem, a systemic skills gap that’s holding our industry back. This investment by Zehnder is an effort to upskill our workforce and tackle the issue.”
Visit the Zehnder website for more information and booking.
