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Career oppoturnities in underfloor heating

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:54

Ask a school leaver what sort of job he or she wants and most will mention something that requires a university degree, yet some of the most lucrative jobs in any country of the world require technical skills and little or no studying.

There was a time when technical careers were excluded for women, but now there is not a technical job women are not active in whether it is driving trains, repairing roads, fixing cars, bricklaying or laying underfloor heating.

Government is spending some R420bn on infrastructural development and has promised to work harder at eliminating a housing backlog of around 2,5m houses.

Despite a worldwide global financial downturn construction in South Africa remains strong and is the third biggest employer in the country. It is desperate for those with skills whether bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, architectural draughtsmen or quantity surveyors.

There is no similar desperation for the jobs that matriculants too often train for – lawyers, actors or journalists – and then wonder why they fall into the ranks of the 200 000 unemployed graduates in South Africa.

Take the underfloor heating market, over the last four years big Danish underfloor heating company, Danfoss has seen 200% growth per year in South Africa. Even in today’s tough economic climate sales are up so far by 15% according to Marketing Manager, Claus Jakobsen.

Danfoss is the world’s largest supplier of underfloor heating and the biggest distributor in South Africa.

Underfloor heating can save the property owner up to 40% of winter heating costs, it’s easy to lay and more women are entering this lucrative field. Jakobsen says they call installers “specialists, he or she can easily earn R40 000 to R60 000 a month in a good area.”

He says an underfloor heating specialist needs, “good knowledge about electricity, be determined to work to very high standards of quality and he or she must have a good understanding of the building industry. The most important part is that standards have to be very high,you never compromise - the rest can be taught.

“Danfoss invites all specialists to free training a few times a year. The training is undertaken by a local expert in sales and marketing and top floor heating specialists from Europe. The training involves everything from the environmental aspects to technical issues and sales and marketing.”

If you want to know more about training, underfloor heating or opportunities with Danfoss contact Jakobsen at heating@danfoss.co.za