The brief
The MCS Foundation helps drive positive change to decarbonise homes’ heat and energy through its work programmes, grants and advocacy.
Th UK aims to achieve 1.5 million heat pump installations by 2035. This growing demand for heat pump installations will inevitably lead to a greater need for more trained heat pump installers, and with this a greater need for more people qualified to train them.
Given this context, the MCS Foundation commissioned Shift to run research aiming to understand the motivations and barriers associated with becoming a heat pump technician trainer, as well as investigating installers and trainers’ perceptions of the role.
The approach
We took a mixed-methods approach, including insights from both existing heat pump trainers and technicians who may or may not be looking to become a trainer.
Phase 1: Interviews with heat pump technician trainers
We conducted 45-minute interviews with 12 heat pump technician trainers, recruited through the MCS Foundation networks, exploring the journey to becoming a trainer.
Phase 2: Survey to heat pump technicians
We sent a 22-question online survey to heat pump technicians to provide insight into positive and negative patterns of perceptions of becoming a technician, based on demographics such as age and employment status. We received 78 usable responses from this seldom-heard audience.
Phase 3: Interviews with heat pump technicians
We conducted interviews with 10 technicians recruited through the survey, lasting 45 minutes each. These provided deeper insights into the reasons heat pump technicians were either interested or not interested in becoming trainers, and potential motivations for becoming trainers.
The value
We provided a detailed report containing key insights from all phases of the research, including how trainers were more often motivated to take on the role due to personal or social reasons than financial ones, with the perceived pay cut being a significant barrier to becoming a trainer. We also provided actionable recommendations for how heat pump technicians can be better supported or encouraged to become trainers. The report was made publicly available and shared by the MCS Foundation.
