CILT was invited to the launch of an industrywide event for the UK’s first dedicated apprenticeship for the transport refrigeration industry, hosted by Marshall Fleet Solutions.
After two and half years attempting to turn this into a reality, Marshall Fleet Solutions and several other partners announced that the Mobile Transport Refrigeration Technician apprenticeship has been approved for delivery.
Members of the apprenticeship group include Morrisons, Petit Forestier, Nagel-Langdon, Turners of Soham, Michael Ward Refrigeration, Peter Staines Refrigeration, TIP Group, and Tesco.
The 36-month end point assessment course is specifically designed to develop all knowledge, skills and behaviours required to install, service and repair transport refrigeration units. It will be delivered across the UK on and industry wide basis.
Marshall Fleet Solutions Managing Director Mark Howell said: “This new apprenticeship is a much-needed replacement for an outdated, complicated setup that contained gaps and often lacked relevance.
“With this new programme, we have finally achieved proper recognition of the crucial work being done by the talented people who are ultimately ensuring an uninterrupted supply of food and medicine in the UK.
“I’m grateful to our partners within the industry and education sector for their support in developing this comprehensive apprenticeship standard, and to the government for acknowledging the specific need for such an apprenticeship.”
City of Liverpool College and Marshall Fleet Solutions will be piloting the apprenticeship with up to 10 apprentices in 2024 for its own intake.
Current apprentice at Marshell Fleet Solutions, Kaylem Richard, provided a tour of their excellence centre training facilities, where attending transport refrigeration service providers, fleet operators and training providers could see the training facilities and equipment first hand.
Kaylem said: “Logistics is a good profession to be involved in because of the amount of work being put into it attracting young people to the industry.
“Before I got into it personally, I didn’t know what logistics was because you just take it all for granted but now what these are trying to do here there are big strides being made for the future.”