Zoe Sims has been with Ideal Heating for 15 years, having joined the organisation’s technical team in 2009. A decade and a half later – and after many years as a gas engineer – Zoe has swapped tools for training and joined Ideal’s Expert Academy training arm, becoming the first female trainer in the business.
Working as a Technical Training Manager, Zoe will help equip installers with the essential skills and knowledge required to work with both current and future heating solutions and is determined to inspire the next generation of heating engineers.
Zoe said: “To be able to take my vast experience working as a gas engineer and put it towards helping others develop is something I find incredibly fulfilling. Training has always been of interest to me so I am delighted to have joined Expert Academy.
According to British Gas, just 0.2 per cent of gas engineers working in the UK in 2023 were women. And, for many, the prospect of entering a male-dominated industry can be a daunting prospect.
Zoe is determined to make a difference and is passionate about using her experiences to encourage more women to consider careers in traditionally male-dominated roles.
Making a difference
“I’ve attended several Women in Manufacturing events with Ideal to inspire young women to explore the opportunities available in our industry,” she said. “I understand why joining this field might seem daunting, but I reassure them that it’s a welcoming environment. The colleagues I work with are fantastic, and now more than ever, we need to attract more women into the industry.”
Zoe credits her dad as her early inspiration.
She said: “While working in the technical team at Ideal Heating, advising installers and customers on our products, I realised I wanted to become a Gas Engineer myself. I decided to pursue the necessary training independently, attending evening and weekend classes. My dad was already in the heating industry, and introduced me to a friend who helped me gain practice experience.
“His support and guidance in those early days gave me the confidence to pursue this career.”
Shaping the future
When Zoe saw an opening for the Technical Training Manager position she saw it as “the perfect opportunity to use my years of experience as a gas engineer to help upskill the next generation, especially at a time when training is more critical than ever”.
“When I started at Ideal Heating 15 years ago on the technical team, I never could have imagined I’d be here helping to train people all these years later. I’m really proud, especially as I still find myself as one of the few women working in the industry.”
With the UK Government setting a target of 600,000 heat pump installations annually by 2028, and upcoming regulations banning gas boilers in new homes from 2025 with a full ban by 2035, training installers in heat pump installations is vital for both Ideal Heating and the broader industry.
Andrew Johnson, Training Director at Ideal Heating, said having people like Zoe in the business to train both the current and next generation of installers in renewable energy solutions was crucial.
He said: “Zoe joins a team of experts that are helping to shape the future of our industry.
“From our flagship National Training and Technology Centre in Hessle, we can train up to 5,000 installers a year, covering everything from heat pumps and the thermodynamic cycle to specific product training, including our own Logic Air heat pump.
“Zoe and the team will ensure that installers are well-equipped to meet the Government’s ambitious goals and drive the low carbon heating transition.”
Image credit: Ideal Heating