Mr Collins, who works for member company JD Cooling Systems, won the bronze medal at the finals, which were held across two days in Birmingham and showcased the skills of hundreds of apprentices from a wide range of industries vying to be the best in their sectors.

As part of WorldSkills, the SkillFRIDGE contest promotes exceptional industry standards for Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) students.

To make the finals, Josh had to be one of the six highest scoring apprentices from all the regional heats that took place this year across the UK.

BESA president, John Norfolk, said: “Josh has made our association and his company very proud. He is an excellent example of the kind of highly skilled individual the industry needs more than ever right now.”

He added that the ability to provide evidence of technical competence was increasingly important at a time when the industry was struggling to fill its skills gap and achieve higher standards of regulatory compliance.

“We face an acute skills crisis,” said Mr Norfolk. “However, our industry also offers a wide range of wonderful and highly rewarding career opportunities. Skills competitions are a great way to showcase emerging talent and demonstrate what our industry has to offer to young.”