Daikin has opened its new Manchester Training Academy.
The academy features three training rooms equipped with Daikin technology. The company said this provides participants with direct access to the equipment they will be installing in the field.
In addition, there is a realistic house frontage complete with a living room and airing cupboard, featuring a fully operational heating and cooling system. Daikin noted that this setup allows participants to practice installations in conditions that closely replicate actual domestic environments, building confidence and competence in real-world scenarios.
The academy also includes an interactive zone dedicated to virtual reality training and a wall of interactive controls. The company added that these additions ensure trainees develop both the technical skills and practical understanding needed to excel as professional heat pump installers.
Tomoji Miki, Daikin UK’s managing director, said: “Daikin enjoys a special relationship with the Manchester region. Since 2022 we have generated £0.5m in social value for the city-region. This includes donating 40 heat pumps to the Embassy Village charity and training 35 college tutors.
“The growing appetite for low carbon heating, and a nationwide shortage of trained engineers, means there has never been a better time for installers to upskill into heat pumps. With the transformation of our Manchester Training Academy, we are better equipped to provide the most advanced training to local tradespeople.”
Daniel Dickinson, GMCA’s Low Carbon Programme and Policy lead, added: “Daikin’s commitment to investing in skills development and low-carbon technology in Greater Manchester is helping us build the green workforce we need to achieve our 2038 carbon neutrality target.”
James Harries, head of climate change and sustainability service at Trafford Council, said: “I’m pleased to welcome the opening of Daikin’s new training facility in the Trafford area. It will help the region’s residents and businesses decarbonise their heating and cooling. In turn this will help to create and support hundreds of well-paid and secure jobs across the region and the North of England.”
The Daikin Training Academy offers a range of training courses, including Daikin product courses and industry-accredited training for heat pump and renewables installers, social housing providers and developers. In addition, the academy also offers installation training on Daikin’s low temperature, high temperature, hybrid, and air-to-air cooling and heating solutions.