Heating company welcomes 20th apprentice in its 20th year

Charlie Thomas has become John Williams Heating Services’ 20th apprentice in the year the company is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The 18-year-old from Melksham joined recently after attending Melksham Oak Community School and is a trainee heating engineer.

Charlie said: “I always knew I wanted to go into a trade after I finished school, and I heard that John and Debbie’s apprenticeship takes you from nothing to a fully qualified gas engineer with a lot of effort from yourself.

“I’d definitely recommend an apprenticeship to anyone that likes getting their hands dirty, especially if you want some independence after leaving school, and some money too.”

His course is linked with Wiltshire College at the Trowbridge site and since starting with the company, Charlie has already experienced many different situations.

“It’s going well and I’m enjoying it. The best part is that every job is different, you’re learning new stuff each time. I’m learning pretty much everything there is to know, and I’ve been so overloaded with information, which is both fun and difficult at the same time,” said Charlie.

“In a tricky situation on a job, I’ve learned to always ask for advice as the engineers are good at explaining how and why something has happened while treating you as an equal.”

John and Debbie Williams started their company in 2004 and since then have always embraced apprenticeships as John was an apprentice himself.

“I’ve always valued hiring apprentices, training them and giving them opportunities. Apprenticeships are an important part of learning a trade and indeed valuable in many professions. Charlie has been a good addition to the team and is settling in well,” John said.

Charlie says he hopes to carry on, become fully qualified and continue working in the business.

Debbie said: “Apprenticeships are such an important part of our business, we are helping to secure the pipeline of the future, with excellent well trained engineers.”

One of other their apprentices, Joshua Lamb, was recently named as Gas Engineering Apprentice of the Year 2024 by the Wiltshire College & University Centre. John Williams Heating Services is based at Bumpers Farm Industrial Estate in Chippenham. It is a Worcester accredited installer and is registered with both Gas Safe and Oftec, the trade associations monitoring best practice.

* Picture shows Charlie Thomas, the 20th apprentice employed by John Williams Heating Services, a South West-based company celebrating its 20th anniversary this year