For installers, attending courses and improving their skills are a vital part of their working lives. Installer talks to Dan Robinson from Jennings Heating Ltd about his experience on a recent controls course run by Vokèra at its headquarters in London Colney, Hertfordshire.

How important are attending courses for you and your business?

 As a sole trader, it’s extremely important for me to attend courses and there are two main reasons  for that. I need to stay competitive within the industry and make sure I can offer my customers the  very best service and provide them with knowledgeable opinions on their requirements. It’s also  important to keep up-to-date with the latest technological changes within the industry and make  sure my professional development continues. When I attend courses, I also get to speak to others about the industry and learn from their  experiences. It’s great to be able to keep in touch with others and see how they’re adapting to  our ever-changing job roles.

How do you decide which courses to take?

There are a diverse range of courses available and it’s important to pick the right ones to help your business and personal development. I like to be technically knowledgeable about what I’m doing and ensure I’m the best I can be, that way I can give my customers the right advice and ensure I’m reaching industry standards.

What made you take the Vokèra controls course?

I’m finding customers are asking me more and more about smart controls. Homeowners want to cut their energy bills and know that controls can help do this. They’re also hearing a lot more directly about consumer-facing brands such as Nest and Honeywell. For me, it’s potentially a new direction to take the business, without necessarily subbing the work out to an electrician, so worth investigating.
I selected the Vokèra controls course because it’s the only one available in the industry. Other boiler manufacturers don’t offer a course on controls; installers have to rely on courses run by controls companies. These types of courses are often not quite right for the work we do and the controls are not sympathetic to the boiler. The course also demonstrated the technical side of controls and explained why installers should use them. I liked the balance of the content, very generic, so you could really look in-depth at how controls work and use that knowledge on any project.

What did you think of the course?

I thought the course was excellent and really well run. The trainer knew his stuff and was great in helping with everyone’s questions. As well as just telling us about controls, he really listened to what we wanted to learn and made the course what we wanted it to be.

What did you learn from the course?

Before the course I understood that controls could be used with a boiler and could help its efficiency, but really understanding the benefits and why controls are important helps me and my business. I now feel confident in giving my customers an informed opinion on controls and understand why I should use and recommend them. I can’t speak highly enough of this course.

Vokera’s Control Course

This dedicated controls training course aims to help installers understand heating controls, the benefits that different control options can bring and the opportunities they create to save energy and grow project revenues. It’s a one day session that will give installers the chance to understand the fundamentals of how controls technology can work in conjunction with boiler operation. It will show installers how and when to incorporate these technologies into existing and new heating systems and most importantly WHY to use them.

To register for the course email training@vokera.co.uk or telephone 01727 744 002.