Young refrigeration and air conditioning engineer Michael Tizard has won the J & E Hall Gold Shield at Grimsby Institute. Michael, aged 23 from Bath, recently completed an HND in Mechanical Engineering (Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) at the college. He passed with flying colours and was presented with the J & E Hall Gold Shield, by J & E Hall Service Division Director Peter McAllister, for being the best performing student on the course.
J & E Hall Operations Manager Steve Ward said that recognising the achievements of young people is important to safeguard the future of the industry: “It has been a number of years since the J & E Hall Gold Shield Award was last presented and this year we thought it was high time that it was revived. J & E Hall knows that our industry is constantly changing. Skill levels need to be maintained and taken to new heights. That’s why training is vital and colleges running courses on installing and maintaining refrigeration and air conditioning equipment play an important role.
“Young people entering the industry will safeguard its success but they need to have the right skill levels to meet the challenges of the future. Training is the only way to ensure this happens. Michael is a shining example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication. He is a deserved winner of the J & E Hall Gold Shield and we wish him best of luck in his career.”
Michael is now working full-time as a refrigeration and air conditioning engineer on a cruise ship off the coast of North America.
J & E Hall has close ties with the college and the company has also completed a project to design, build and install a training rig for ammonia-based refrigeration work. Grimsby Institute curriculum leader Andy Hudson said: “The training rig is an important addition to institute facilities. It gives students the opportunity to learn more about industrial refrigeration and how to work with ammonia, something which can seem daunting but with the right training and equipment there is no reason why it should be. We are delighted with the new rig and the help received from J & E Hall.”
