Former England footballer and manager Kevin Keegan addressed an industry event in London earlier this month.
Following a challenging 18 months, during which time the FETA Annual Lunch was postponed on several occasions, representatives from the heating, ventilating, building controls, refrigeration and air conditioning sectors finally met once again at The Brewery on London’s Chiswell Street on Friday 5th November.
The assembled manufacturers, suppliers, installers, contractors, government colleagues and other distinguished guests heard from FETA chairman Paul White and special guest speaker. He entertained guests with stories from his playing days, and presented one of his England shirts to Mike Nankivell, a recent recipient of an OBE for his services to the UK refrigeration and air conditioning industry.
Paul said: “Two years ago, the mainstream media would have used this term rarely but now there is a reference to it nearly every day, alongside the issue of overuse of energy and its impact on the environment. Net Zero may mean different things to different people but it has captured the public attention. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated what can happen to global emissions when manufacturing output and travel is cut dramatically.”
Changes to building regulations will increase the focus on competency across the industry and Paul advised guests to be ready, adding: “Proof of competency is going to become very high profile in both the short and long term. People offering training must be able to demonstrate their own competency in being able to deliver that training successfully for the specific subject. Anyone can attend training. Putting that training effectively to work is another matter.”