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igem news

SPOTLIGHT ON...
ENGTECHS

In continuing our series of case
studies and in celebration of National
Apprenticeship Week 2022, we’ve been
speaking to some of our members,
finding out about their experience with
apprenticeships in gas, their careers
so far and how IGEM has supported
them up to now. IGEM EngTech member Phil Davies’ career
in gas began with an apprenticeship and he later went on to
teach apprentices. His current role is National Gas Technical
Manager at IMServ Europe Ltd. Here, he tells IGEM Marketing
Assistant Jodie Shepherd his story so far

PHIL’S CAREER IN gas began when he attention on my learning and began
was 16. In fact, he started with British to enjoy improving my knowledge
Gas as a Service Engineer Apprentice and experience every day outside the
on his 16th birthday – a week later classroom environment.”
than his fellow new starters due to the Phil successfully gained his Level 3 in
fact he was too young to enroll into an Gas Service Engineering after three years
apprenticeship and be employed full of hard work and with lots of fun along
time any earlier. the way. This was then supplemented by
“When I first started, I had no idea a further year of monitoring and support
what the apprenticeship and my to ensure that he was fully ready to
working life at British Gas would hold become an engineer.
for me, or how rewarding it would be. He said: “I must thank my mentor
Nor did I know about the friendships I Bob Roberts who helped me develop
would make along the way, which have and supported me in my early years as domestic energy assessors. This
lasted throughout my career,” he says. an apprentice and then onto becoming meant learning new skills to enable
Phil embarked on the City and an engineer. Without him imparting his me to deliver this training which was
Guilds Gas Service Engineer Level 3 knowledge to me, I think that my career originally outside of my skillset. Once
apprenticeship, throughout which he may not have taken so many changes. the smart metering rollout began in
split his time gaining knowledge and He always said to give it a try – because earnest, we were expected to deliver
practical training at the British Gas what did I have to lose?” training to apprentices in dual fuel
flagship training centre in Grangetown, He worked as a Service Technician smart metering. This meant that, in
Cardiff, and learning the theory of gas at for 20 years, during which time he saw addition to my own gas knowledge,
a technical college in Rumney. He also a lot of changes within British Gas. I had to gain further learning in the
spent time on patch with a mentor, who However, an even bigger change in electrical metering world.”
helped him gain real world experience. direction was on the horizon. Phil worked for the academy for 10
“I became part of a team that In 2010, an opportunity arose as a years, not only making new friends from
contained over 50 engineers covering new BG Training Centre was opening various parts of the country by supporting
the Mid Glamorgan area and enjoyed in Tredegar. Phil was successful in his training centres nationwide, but also
every part of my apprenticeship life application to become a Gas Trainer getting reacquainted with friends from
from there on in. Don’t get me wrong, it and so began the next stage of his his own apprenticeship days.
was hard work getting to grips with the development within the gas industry. In 2019, it was time for another big
theory. As a person who had not really He said: “We were originally set step and Phil joined IMServ – a company
pushed myself in school, leaving with up to deliver training on renewable with a long heritage in electrical
the bare minimum GCSEs, knowing that technology such as solar PV, solar metering, from whole current meters up
I was in a job, getting paid to learn, and thermal and ground and air heat to large HVCT half hourly meters.
with the expectations of my manager source pumps. We also delivered They were entering the gas market
weighing on me, I was able to focus my training on energy efficiency and as meter asset managers and approved

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