Think about the heating system in your home. That was designed by a heating engineer and installed by a heating and ventilation fitter. But it's not only in every house that you find systems like this.

Think of the gym where the air conditioning is keeping you cool as you train. The shopping centre that's warm as toast in the freezing winter or deliciously cool when it's baking outside.

You may not have thought about this before, but everywhere you go, everything you do, there's a building services system, working away behind the scenes to ensure you're in a comfortable environment: nightclubs, music stores, office blocks, cinemas, skyscrapers, everywhere. And these systems are far bigger, far more sophisticated, and far more expensive than the ones you have in your home.

As a Building Services Engineer you will be part of designing and installing this living and breathing environment, taking care of all of us. So where does the Building Services Engineer fit in? The owner of any proposed new building will first sit with an Architect and design how he or she wants it to look and feel. It's after this that the Building Services Engineering Team will get involved, bringing that design on paper to life and designing and selecting the equipment and systems suitable for the job. They will prepare detailed drawings showing how the systems will work, estimate the costs of materials and labour needed to carry out the work, and decide how long the work will take to complete.

Then, when work gets underway, a Building Services Engineer will continue to visit the site to check on progress and to liaise with the many different professionals involved on the contract to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them. Coordinating large projects and many diverse teams is extremely challenging and the Building Services Engineer needs tact and diplomacy as well as problem-solving and people skills to make sure the programme runs smoothly.

There's great variety to the work. Every project is different, with its own problems and solutions, offering engineers the ultimate challenge – to create the right solution for that building, complete it at the right time for the project, and at the right cost to the client. And, after each project is finished, when you stand back and look at a completed project, there's a terrific job satisfaction to be had. Knowing that what you are doing is worthwhile. Knowing that something you played a major part in producing, with people living and working within it, will be standing long after your own children are born.

Working conditions
You will never be stuck behind a desk as the job offers a balance of working in the office, where the majority of the design and estimating work is undertaken, and time spent on-site seeing your design come to life, planning and coordinating the installation.

Whilst training you are paid a monthly wage, which is set by the industry's governing body. In addition, all your college fees are paid for and, in most cases, employers will even pay for your travel! A normal working week is 36.5 hours with an average paid holiday entitlement of 20 days per year.

There may be occasions where a contract requires you to work overtime, especially if the programme of works is tight, but this is usually kept to a minimum whilst you are at college and still training. On average it takes four years to become fully qualified and there are three schemes to choose from depending on your entry qualifications

Training
Involves studying on a day-release programme for an Edexcel (Formerly known as BTEC) or Scottish Qualification Authority National Certificate in Building Services Engineering. Other entrance routes are via the Building Services Engineering Modern Apprentice framework where study would be via a National/Scottish Vocational Qualification (S/NVQ) at either Level 3 or 4. Your employer will provide work-based training to compliment your college studies.

Entry Qualifications

• 4 GCSEs at Grade C or above – or in Scotland SCE standard grades in Maths, Physics (or another relevant science), English and Design & Technology (or other relevant technical subject)
• Intermediate Level General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) in Construction and the Built Environment or Engineering – or in Scotland GSVQs in Construction and the Built Environment or Engineering
• In Scotland only, Scottish GSVQ National Certificate at Level 3, engineering technician route
• Your National Record of Achievement and/or Record of Education & Training will also be taken into account, along with any other commendations or qualifications you may hold

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