RAC Industry celebrates SkillFRIDGE 2008
The refrigeration and air conditioning industry celebrated its finest talent on Friday June 6 at SkillFRIDGE 2008, a challenging three-day practical skills competition designed to promote standards and skills across the sector.
The competition, which took place at The Centre for the Built Environment at South Birmingham College, is organised by SummitSkills and supported by the Institute of Refrigeration (IOR), the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board and the British Refrigeration Association.
This year saw Martin Davey from Northern Ireland, employed by Chilltec Refrigeration and a student from South Eastern Regional College, crowned the UK SkillFRIDGE champion. 18-year-old Martin competed against nine others from all over the UK, undertaking a series of practical tests that demonstrated their abilities and highlighted their outstanding skills.
Competitors carried out installations based on real-life work situations, including a refrigeration and electrical system in a small cold store unit and a split air conditioning system, plus a variety of other practical work. Marks were awarded for the candidates’ ability to complete the design, installation and commissioning to an international competition standard with due consideration for health and safety, and the environment.
Winner of the silver SkillFRIDGE award was Jason Smith from Grenco Refrigeration. Richard May, from Cool Solution Ref & A/C ltd, took home bronze. All three winners were awarded a certificate, a cash prize and an ‘ECO Warrior’ refrigerant reclaim machine courtesy of Aspen Pumps.
Keith Marshall, chief executive of SummitSkills, commented: “The event this week has been excellent and the competitors have been a credit to the industry. SkillFRIDGE has been designed to promote standards and skills across the industry, and the winners here today have done just that.”
Martin Davey said: “I’m over the moon. I was very nervous waiting to hear the announcement, but it’s great to have won. I now hope to compete at an international level, it would be a really good opportunity for me.”
The biennial event is the largest skills competition in the world and attracts around a thousand contestants from over 50 countries. The next event is in Calgary in 2009.
SummitSkills would like to thank its sponsors and supporters: South Birmingham College, Mitsubishi Electric Europe, HRP, BOC, IDS Refrigerants, RPW, Aspen Pumps, Electric Center and Climate Center, whose full details can be found on the SkillM&E website www.skillMandE.org.uk 