A NEW training facility for plumbing and heating engineers is being set up at Highlands College.
From next year, assessment and registration for Oil Firing Technical Association (Oftec) approval will be available at the college workshop. In the UK, it is already essential for engineers to have Oftec approval before they can install boiler equipment, but this is not currently a requirement of Jersey building by-laws.
However, several Island firms, including Romerils and the Iron Stores, have been running Oftec training courses periodically and bringing over assessors from the UK. Once registered, the engineer is required to reregister on a regular basis, in order to continue to have Oftec approval. Ken Manning, branch manager of Romerils’ trade centre at La Collette, said that it would be only a matter of time before Jersey followed the UK.
Romerils and Wiltshire boiler company Grant Engineering are donating £2,000 worth of oil-fired boiler equipment to the Highlands workshop to help trainees and experienced engineers. Currently between 60 and 70 students are studying plumbing and heating at Highlands, from the full-time crafts course, which covers four different trades, to apprentices on day release working towards the City & Guilds plumbing qualifications.
• Picture: Pictured with the donated boilers are Steve Jewell, sales director at Romerils, Ian Greenwood, head of faculty at Highlands, Mike Toms, regional sales manager for Grant boliers, Ken Manning, branch manager of Romerils, and Norry Murray, plumbling lecturer at Highlands. Picture by Jon Guegan (00600818)
