Demand for HVAC skills in the UK construction industry remains high despite new figures suggesting the number of permanent job vacancies has fallen since Britain opted to leave the EU.

Data from HVAC recruitment specialist Thornhvac is at odds with the latest cross-sector study on job vacancies which showed a drop in the number of permanent vacancies in July.

By contrast, Thornhvac saw the number of new opportunities in heating, ventilation and air conditioning rise by 20% last month compared to July 2015.

Jason Thornhill, director of Thornhvac, said the construction sector continued to be affected by skills shortages and that demand for experienced engineers and sales people remained strong. 

“We have had a very busy second quarter working with contractors and manufacturers to fill roles for designers, fitters and sales engineers,” said Jason.

“There seems to be a particular need for CAD designers, experienced specification sales engineers and candidates who can combine customer service skills with technical expertise to carry out servicing and repairs.”

Jason said that although most recruitment agencies nationally were reporting a shift to short term contracts, the HVAC sector was bucking the trend.

“What we’re seeing from employers is a desire to source high achieving and experienced personnel who can give them a competitive edge in an expanding market,” he explained.

Thornhvac’s 2015 salary survey found that the average UK salary for an HVAC sales engineer is between £35-40K but Jason said the earning potential of high performers was much higher.

“Candidates who have built up several years of industry knowledge and have a strong sales record can command salary and bonus packages that are much higher than the industry average,” he said.

“This is particularly true at the moment when the job market is so buoyant,” he added.