Heating and Ventilating

Worcester Bosch has officially reopened the doors to its flagship Training Academy following a £3.5 million redevelopment programme. The new facility will see the manufacturer offer an even wider industry-leading training provision to a greater number of installers.

Opened by Richard Harrington MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary (BEIS), and Robin Walker MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary (DExEU), the revamped academy is now four times the size of its predecessor, with over 2,000m² of practical training areas and classrooms – an area equivalent to 10 tennis courts.

The state-of-the-art building boasts over 200 working boilers and heating appliances across its nine practical rooms, which are expected to enable Worcester to welcome as many as 10,000 heating engineers to its headquarters each year.

With facilities to cater for appliances using gas, oil, and solid fuel, as well as renewable and commercial heating technologies, the refurbished academy will offer installers both hands-on product training and legal assessments. The increased space is also expected to accommodate expansion into growing areas of interest such as smart technologies and Bosch’s connected home concept.

Nick Fothergill, Worcester’s national training Manager, commented: “The unveiling of our new, flagship Training Academy is a real landmark for Worcester having been the result of the largest single investment in training in the company’s history. As demand for professional development among installers grows, we want to ensure we continue to offer some of the industry’s best training courses, at facilities engineers really enjoy using. 

“The introduction of smarter, connected heating technologies is an exciting time for the industry, so it is vital that we play our part in enhancing installers’ skillsets and help them to deliver reliable, efficient heating systems to homes around the country.”