SIX of the UK’s most promising refrigeration and air conditioning engineers will compete in the final of the industry’s section of the 2025 WorldSkills UK competition to be held at Cardiff and Vale College, Wales on November 26 and 27.
The competition, organised by the Building Engineering Services Association and sponsored by F-Gas registration scheme REFCOM and HVAC equipment manufacturer Baxi, is designed to showcase both emerging and existing technical skills.
Competitors will demonstrate their skills and knowledge in refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump (RACHP) applications, while also maintaining a safe working environment, in ‘real world’ situations.
The candidates will be assessed by a panel of expert and independent judges drawn from the industry and the completed marking schedules will then be put forward for external verification by WorldSkills UK staff.
Tasks include digital programming, fault finding/diagnosis, electrical testing, pipework fabrication, service and maintenance, with a strong emphasis on energy efficiency and sustainability. The six competitors will be expected to commission, de-commission and make changes to a full working system.
Finalists under 21 years of age who score above average will also be considered for the UK’s international squad competing at the 2028 Skills Olympics in Aichi, Japan.
Taking part in the final are: Craig Gow, Cool Cair Refrigeration and Glasgow Kelvin College; Sapper Daniel Hunt, Royal Engineers; Evan Jones, Lightfoot International and City of Portsmouth College; Sapper Isaac Jervis, Royal Engineers; Samuel Jones, Industrial Cooling Equipment and Practical Refrigeration Training Centre; and Taylor Mclaughlin from Cubic Works.
“This will be an amazing and potentially life-changing experience for all of these impressive young engineers,” said BESA’s technical director Kevin Morrissey. “Demonstrating your skills in front of a live audience and a high calibre judging panel may be a bit daunting, but they will all benefit from the experience.
“Giving young people a platform and celebrating talent in high profile competitions is a critical part of the industry’s attempts to address its serious skills shortages and prepare a new generation for the world of technical work.”
WorldSkills involves more than 80 countries and is a partnership between the education sector, businesses, and governments.
