Susana Rodríguez (AEFYT): “we must put an end to unlicensed operators”

In your opinion, how has the professionalisation of refrigeration sector installers in Spain evolved in recent years?

In recent years, the refrigeration installer sector in Spain has been at the forefront of technological innovation and digitalisation. Installers are a critical link in the refrigeration value chain. They’re a meeting point between manufacturers, distributors, and end-users, and it’s their responsibility to help users choose the most efficient refrigeration systems to suit their needs.

To achieve this professional qualification level, the regulations that require professional certification to work on refrigeration installations are essential. They’re included in the latest update to the Refrigeration Installations Safety Regulation. Also, the Regulation on Thermal Installations in Buildings (RITE) is a fundamental instrument for this. Unlicensed operators are a major problem, and requiring certification is the best way to combat that.

AEFYT has joined forces with other trade associations to launch the Manifesto For Promoting Professional Recognition of Installers in Buildings. It calls for, among other things, the promotion of quality certifications, seals of approval, installer identity cards, and accreditations of installer companies, as well as creating new certifications for sectors that don’t have them yet.

How does the situation regarding professional qualification for the sector in Spain compare with the rest of Europe?

In Spain, we urgently need to develop quality vocational training to attract young men and women to careers in technical sectors like ours. The refrigeration sector has full employment and diversified career paths, but we have a shortage of technical staff. All of us, businesses and government, need to work together to solve this problem. We need a generational renewal to continue innovating and offering a high-quality service, which means recruiting young people into the sector.

Our companies spend a lot each year on in-house staff training, to make continuous training more effective. The return on this business investment becomes apparent after about two years. We need to make people understand that this is the most effective way we have for training staff and that it’s an investment rather than an expense. One of AEFYT’s main lines of work is also to support this continuous training with courses and seminars on specific aspects of refrigeration.

And ours is a sector in which field experience is essential for professional qualification, and so practical-theoretical training is essential. Many companies in the industry bring together seasoned professionals with their store of experience and the new generation of young people with theoretical training to have a solid workforce with the knowledge they need to meet technological challenges. Businesses have to transfer training and information about the new regulations throughout their organisations from the top down, with each department applying both technical and administrative aspects as necessary.

What other challenges does the sector face in the future?

The main challenge in this area, apart from the one we’ve been discussing about training and attracting young people into the industry, is that we need to put an end to unlicensed operators and know how to persuade customers about the benefits of certified installers. Hiring a professional installer ensures safety, saves money and energy, and ensures that installation runs properly. Not only that, but it also contributes to the nation’s economy by preventing tax fraud by non-certified installers.