Become a technical insulator

A technical insulator ensures that heat stays where it should — and stays away where it should not. You insulate pipes, ducts, tanks and machinery on everything from the district heating network and hospitals to breweries, ships and power plants. It is a trade where you use both your hands and your head: you take measurements, work out geometry, choose materials and build a solution that lasts for years.

Because the industry is short of people. There is more building, renovation and energy optimisation going on than ever before, and there are far fewer trained insulators than companies need. That has a very concrete meaning for you: it is often markedly easier to find an apprenticeship here than in many other trades — companies are actively looking for apprentices.

• 01High demand — the trade is short of hands, so the opportunities for an apprenticeship and a job are good.
• 02A wage during training — you earn money from day one of your on-the-job training, instead of paying to study.
• 03No two days alike — one week you are at a hospital, the next at an industrial plant or a construction site.
• 04You see the result — you go home from a day's work and can point to something you have finished building.
• 05A way forward — from apprentice to journeyman, and on to foreman, project manager or self-employed with your own company.

You work your way through a job: understand what the pipe or installation needs to do, choose the right material (mineral wool, cellular glass, foam), calculate the right thickness according to the standards, and carry out the insulation neatly and tightly — often with a smart sheet-metal jacket of aluminium or stainless steel on the outside. There is precision in it, and there is pride in a piece of work that both functions and looks good.

Technical insulator is a vocational education and training programme (EUD). You typically start with the basic course at a vocational college and then take up an apprenticeship with a company, alternating between school and on-the-job training. You do not need to know everything in advance — you just need the desire to learn a trade and work with your hands. If you are already on your way, or you know someone in the industry, ask about an apprenticeship: there is a good chance you are needed.

“The best thing about the trade is that you can see and feel your work. You finish building something every day — and you know it makes a difference to both the energy bill and the climate.”

Want to know more about the trade itself before you decide? Create a free account and dive into the articles, calculators and quizzes here on the site — that way you get a feel for what technical insulation is all about, with no obligations at all.

The whole education lasts 3 years and 9 months to 5 years. That includes the basic programme, which has two parts of 20 weeks each. The education is about insulating «pipes, ducts and tanks, with a focus on energy efficiency, fire safety, sustainability and the working environment».

Large buildings have many pipes and ducts. The chart shows buildings of at least 5,000 m², by what they are used for. The limit of 5,000 m² is Discebo's choice. Notice which types take up the most: blocks of flats, warehouses and offices. That is where the large technical installations are.