VAE Apprentices have the chance to get hands-on, ask questions and learn directly from the experts who know the trade.

Part of the VAE experience for our apprentices means: Monthly face-to-face, and hands-on-the-tools training, an annual 2-Day Training Program, as well as giving apprentices the time and place (Apprentice Training Workshop based in Darra) to build their knowledge alongside their day-to-day work.

Sessions cover everything from refrigeration fundamentals and future refrigerants to preventative maintenance. Apprentices learn why maintenance matters, how it helps protect clients’ equipment and how to choose the right products for coil cleaning, drain maintenance and leak detection.

They also get to put the tools to work: cutting and deburring pipe, welding, leak testing, connecting gauges and checking system operation. Training on thermostatic expansion valves (TX valves) shows how choosing the right component can make a difference to a system’s performance and reliability.

Our industry partners bring their experience to the training, with Kirby, SuperCool, Actrol and CNW sharing product and trade knowledge. Apprentices put what they learn into practice through sessions such as coil cleaning with SuperCool’s Viper range and refrigeration training with Actrol.

External providers such as QLeave host workshops to share information about portable long service leave, while other workshops cover workplace skills and financial literacy, including banking and saving for a home. Ensuring VAE is giving our apprentices the skills and knowledge they can use throughout their careers.

We want our apprentices to feel supported as they find their feet and grow in the trade. That means creating opportunities to learn, practise and build confidence throughout their apprenticeship.