Zehnder has opened a new training facility at its headquarters in Camberley, Surrey.
The company said the academy aims to advance skills and knowledge across the UK heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) industry.
The facility contains a simulated indoor environment, in the form of a working apartment, with fully operational heating, cooling and ventilation units for testing and experimentation.
In addition, the academy features a Posi-Joist ‘rig’ for design, ducting and connector training, designed with partner MiTek. On display will be the latest examples of Zehnder’s equipment for live demos and hands-on training in maintenance, servicing and commissioning, and a classroom-style learning space for lectures and visual learning. There will also be online training modules for extended theory.
The practical and academic training modules will span all elements of the Design, Install, Commissioning and Maintenance process, which tracks to the Future Homes Standard legislation coming into effect from December 2026.
Stuart Smith, Zehnder Group UK’s commercial director, said: “While the UK boasts some of the best specialist mechanical and electrical contractors, without a national qualification, there are simply not enough who are ventilation qualified and can do the job. This is resulting in uncompetitive quotes, shortcuts being taken and a worryingly high number of poor installations being seen – and so the cycle continues.
“We know that in the UK there are still untrained tradespeople installing and commissioning ventilation systems with little or no knowledge. Once installed, many of these MVHR systems are left unmaintained and/or not serviced, leading to further issues down the line. That’s not a criticism. It’s a sign of a bigger problem, a systemic skills gap that’s holding our industry back. This investment by Zehnder is an effort to upskill our workforce and tackle the issue.”
Industry professionals that want to sign up for courses at the Zehnder Academy can do so now using Zehnder’s Training Academy Portal.