To hit Net Zero, the UK Government must install approximately 21 million domestic heat pumps by 2050. This will require the upskilling of 69,500 heating installers by 2035, but only 4,000 installers are currently trained and not all are active. The scale of the challenge is compounded by the skills gap and inadequacy of the current training provision. The sector faces the challenge of creating capacity to learn the new skills needed for the future, while struggling to meet current demands due to skills and labour shortages. In addition, there is no sufficient training available on the new skills required for heating system design and installation. Where it does exist, dropout rates are high, learners struggle with the complex ‘hydronics’ calculations required for each heat pump fitting and as a result installer errors are contributing to a lack of confidence in heat pump technology.
This project will build and test an artificial intelligence (AI) agent for mobile phones, trained on known hydronics best practice, that installers will take into the field to cement their learning following their attendance of Warmur’s new hybrid hydronics course. The AI agent supports a blended approach to learning, helping engineers embed what they have learnt in the classroom and by mentoring them to work through real on-the-job scenarios. The project is targeting a specific problem around confidence with calculations and the need for heating engineers to upskill in high level math. By demonstrating how a well-designed AI tool can act as a mentor, this project could be replicated across a wide range of learning areas and industries.