What’s Your Next Step as a Building Services Engineer?

In the extensive field of building services engineering (BSE), the possibilities for career development are endless.   According to our recent research, upskilling to different areas leads to enhanced work satisfaction (+39%), a larger customer base and, above all, an increased hourly rate.   If you have come to a stage in your career where you feel it’s time for a new challenge, adding to your skill set and/or moving into a complimentary BSE field might be the right step for you.  

Upskilling is Popular in Building Services

  An overwhelming 87.5% of our recipients have added to their skill set later on in their career, showing that your starting point in the building services engineering sector is more often than not a gateway into other areas.   The majority of people asked began as plumbers (50%), 27.5% gas installers, 12.5% electricians and the rest were split between refrigeration, oil and other related industries.   Gas appeared to be the most popular field to upskill into, with 65.05% of respondents having trained to become gas engineers after starting their career in another area – particularly for plumbers.   On average, respondents who had upskilled did so in approximately two other disciplines.   The good thing about building services, is that the experience you gain in any given field is transferable, meaning there are usually options to top-up skills and qualifications, rather than starting again from scratch.  

Future Proof Skills

  Looking at the future, sustainable solutions are gaining in popularity – according to the survey, 39.08% of those who are considering upskilling are thinking about renewables.   Heat pumps in particular, as well as general ways to improve efficiency, such as controls and smart meters, are growing marketplaces.   You might consider future-proofing your skills to meet these changing demands.  

Why become a Multi-Skilled?

  With such a wealth of building services engineer jobs out there, it’s never too late to expand your skill set and provide even more services to your clients.   In fact, 93.69% of industry professionals would recommend it. As to the question “why?”, respondents to our survey answered:  

• “I feel that upskilling is an essential progression in any trade, which individuals, companies and customers all gain from.”
• “You can offer clients a complete package, especially now hybrid systems are becoming very popular.”
• “For self-development and a better chance of moving on in your career.”
• “You can offer complete installation and servicing services to your customers and cut out using sub-contractors to cover your skill shortage.”
• “This industry is always changing and you need to continue training or be left behind.”

 

The Multi-Jobbing Flow Chart

In order to help building services engineers progress in their career, Logic4training has produced a multi-jobbing flow chart outlining the most popular pathways. This flow chart includes findings from our recent upskill survey.     [wpfilebase tag=file id=132 tpl=default /]  

Upskill Survey Report

Download the full survey report here to see how trades people develop their skillsets and the benefits this has to their business, such as enhanced work satisfaction, larger customer base and an increased hourly rate attributed to being multi-skilled..   For personalised advice on what’s the best next step for you, get in touch with Logic4training on 02088457222 or email us at [email protected].