Opening doors to the heat network industry for local students

We were delighted to welcome a cohort of students from Edinburgh College to the MEL Energy Centre at Millerhill. 

The students are at the very start of their journey into the trade and construction sector, with many having only recently left school. They are currently studying towards an NPA in Building Services, covering plumbing, heating, and ventilation. 

Working closely with lecturers from Edinburgh College, we arranged for our Head of Engineering in Scotland, Gerry McDonnell, to deliver a presentation alongside a representative from OCS, one of our principal contractors supporting our Scottish operations. Together, they introduced the students to the Millerhill project and explained the role of heat networks – an area most of the group had not previously encountered. 

Raising awareness of heat networks is essential as the sector continues to expand across Scotland and the wider UK. Low carbon heat networks are a proven and well‑supported route to achieving net zero targets, and they will play a growing role in how homes and buildings are heated in the years ahead. For today’s students, this presents exciting future career opportunities within a rapidly developing industry.  

Gerry and the OCS team also shared their own career journeys, highlighting the pathways into work within the sector and how they progressed into senior engineering and leadership roles. 

Gerry McDonnell showing students a heat interface unit.

Following the presentations, the students were invited on a guided tour of the MEL Energy Centre, giving them a behind‑the‑scenes look at how the site delivers heating and hot water to nearby homes. The visit offered a valuable, real‑world insight into a live operational heat network – an experience that will hopefully support their studies as they move closer to starting their careers over the coming years. 

Gerry McDonnell, Head of Engineering shared the following on the opportunity:

"It was a real pleasure to welcome and meet some of the local students coming through. The group asked thoughtful questions and showed genuine interest in the energy infrastructure operating right on their doorstep. The heat network sector in Scotland is growing and represents a significant opportunity for future jobs. Hopefully, visits like this help spark curiosity and encourage some of these young people to consider a career in heat networks."

The teachers from Edinburgh College who took part in the site visit also shared very positive feedback on their experience, noting the value it brought to both teaching and student learning:

"Experiences like this are really valuable for our students. Seeing a working heat network and hearing directly from industry professionals helps bring their learning to life and broadens their understanding of the career opportunities available within low carbon heating and building services." - Bryan Hall, Workplace Assessor at Edinburgh College

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