CoolPath Connect: the UK's mobile-first platform getting young people into skilled work, for stakeholders who need delivery, not promises
CoolPath Connect is a free, mobile-first platform that reaches young people not in education, employment or training, wherever they actually are, then connects them into funded, accredited training and a guaranteed job. It gives colleges, government bodies, employers and investors a single, funded delivery partner for youth employment and skilled-jobs outcomes, starting with air conditioning and heat pump installation, and built to carry other trades as it grows. No other organisation joins reach, funded training and verified deployment into one pipeline.
A guaranteed route in. A guaranteed job at the end.
CoolPath exists to give young people a fully funded, guaranteed path into skilled work. It starts with reaching them, on a phone, through CoolPath Connect, wherever they actually are, then carries them into funded, accredited training and a guaranteed job. Our first pathway is the accredited air conditioning and heat pump technicians Britain urgently needs to keep homes, care homes, health centres and new communities safely comfortable through a changing climate; more trades will follow as the platform grows.
“Turning Britain's youth employment crisis into a proven, fundable route into skilled work, trade by trade.”
Air conditioning, heat pumps and climate change: the full picture
Air conditioning has a real climate footprint, and we're not going to pretend otherwise. But the honest answer to "is AC bad for the climate?" is more nuanced than the headlines suggest; and it's the reason accredited, well-trained technicians matter more than ever.
Refrigerants are being regulated out
UK F-Gas rules banned the legacy refrigerant R410A (GWP 2,088) from new domestic installations in 2020. R32 (GWP 675) is now being phased down, and R290/propane (with a GWP of just 3, a 99.86% reduction) is becoming the new UK standard. CoolPath trains every technician on current low-GWP systems, not legacy kit.
Electricity is getting cleaner every year
UK renewable electricity generation hit a record 47% in 2023, up from just 7% in 2010, with offshore wind capacity on course for a 50GW 2030 target. Every heat pump and AC unit installed today gets cleaner to run each year, unlike a gas boiler, which is locked into fossil fuel for its 15–20 year lifespan.
Displacing fossil fuel heat, not just adding cooling
The UK Climate Change Committee names heat pumps as one of Britain's primary routes to decarbonising home heating; installations rose 56% in 2024 alone. A reversible heat pump replaces a fossil-fuel boiler and delivers efficient summer cooling from the same unit.
Why can't we just use less air conditioning?
For the UK's most heat-vulnerable people, cooling is fast becoming a public health necessity rather than a discretionary comfort. UKHSA recorded roughly 1,504 heat-associated deaths in summer 2025 alone, even as resilience improves, and the UK has now recorded temperatures over 40°C (conditions previously considered virtually impossible without human-caused climate change). On directly comparable methodology, UKHSA recorded 2,544 cold-associated deaths across just three cold episodes the following winter, its first-ever Cold Mortality Monitoring Report: cold periods were associated with more deaths than heat periods that year, not fewer, which is exactly why a reversible heat pump matters on both ends of the calendar. Older people, care home residents and people with long-term health conditions are most at risk either way (precisely the population CoolPath's technicians serve across care homes and health centres). The real climate question isn't "air conditioning or none"; it's whether that heating and cooling is delivered efficiently, on a low-GWP refrigerant, correctly sized, by someone properly accredited to install it.
How does CoolPath make sure its technicians are part of the solution?
Every CoolPath-trained technician holds F-Gas Category 1 accreditation (the legal UK standard for handling refrigerants without leaks) and trains on current low-GWP refrigerants rather than legacy high-GWP systems. Correct sizing and installation is itself a major lever: an oversized or badly-fitted unit wastes energy for its entire working life. That gap between a properly accredited installer and an uncertified one is exactly the skills shortage CoolPath exists to close.
One model, four aligned stakeholders
CoolPath's recruit–train–accredit–network model plugs funded candidates, accredited training and guaranteed jobs into a single pipeline, built to work for colleges, government, candidates and manufacturers at the same time.
Colleges & Training Providers
Guaranteed, funded enrolment onto F-Gas Category 1 and RACHP apprenticeship places (ST0322), stronger completion and destination outcomes, and a long-term training relationship as our network scales nationally.
Become a founding college partner →Government & Local Councils
A ready-made delivery partner for the Youth Guarantee, SWAP and Warm Homes Plan (no new scheme required, just funded, evidenced local jobs outcomes delivered against schemes already committed).
Discuss a local delivery pilot →Candidates & Referral Partners
A genuinely funded, guaranteed, and supported route from referral into a real, well-paid trade (no cost to the candidate at any stage, with a dedicated mentor and welfare support throughout).
Apply now →Manufacturers & Distributors
A growing, REFCOM-registered, F-Gas Category 1 qualified technician pipeline that extends your approved-installer scheme (without you building a recruitment and training operation yourselves).
Extend your installer capacity →CoolPath Connect
A single, role-based system for every stakeholder in the ecosystem (candidates, colleges, technicians, funders, manufacturers, financiers and end users), underpinned by the Certified F-Gas Technician Registry and turning day-to-day operations into a proprietary, defensible data asset.
More accredited technicians make the network more attractive to manufacturers and institutional buyers. More job flow makes it more attractive to candidates and colleges. The resulting data on funding routes, completion rates, regional demand and technician quality isn't available from any single source today.
Investor EnquiriesCompany Policies & Accreditations
Our full governance framework, published here for partners, funders and candidates to review directly, alongside the accreditations and registrations we hold today and are working towards as the network scales.
Health & Safety Policy
Our commitment to protecting the health, safety and welfare of every technician, network partner and site we work on.
Download PDF →Safeguarding Policy
Our safeguarding procedures for the candidates and care settings we work with, including technicians under 18.
Download PDF →Data Protection & GDPR Policy
How we collect, use and protect personal data across our candidate, partner and technician network.
Download PDF →Quality Policy Statement
Our commitment to consistent, high standards across training, accreditation and service delivery.
Download PDF →Environment & Sustainability Policy
Our approach to minimising environmental impact, from refrigerant choice to day-to-day operations.
Download PDF →Conducting Business with Integrity
Our anti-bribery, anti-corruption and ethical conduct standards across every part of the business.
Download PDF →Modern Slavery Statement
Our commitment to identifying and preventing modern slavery and human trafficking in our business and supply chains.
Download PDF →Business Continuity Plan
How we identify risk and keep training, accreditation and technician deployment running through disruption.
Download PDF →Alcohol and Drug Policy
Our workplace standards for alcohol and substance use, protecting our staff, technicians and the public we serve.
Download PDF →Accreditations & Registrations
CoolPath is a newly established company; accreditations marked "Working Towards" are targeted for completion as the network launches and scales, and are not yet held.
Stakeholder questions, answered directly
What does CoolPath do?
CoolPath recruits young people into fully funded training and accreditation as air conditioning and heat pump technicians, listed on the Certified F-Gas Technician Registry. Every graduate is guaranteed a job placement with a manufacturer, distributor or installer partner in our network. CoolPath is the funded delivery partner for colleges, government bodies, manufacturers and investors, not the employer of the technicians it places.
Is air conditioning bad for the climate?
Badly-installed, high-GWP air conditioning is a real climate problem; but it is not the whole picture. UK refrigerant regulation, a rapidly decarbonising electricity grid, and correctly-sized installation by accredited engineers are turning modern air conditioning and heat pump systems into a net climate positive, not a negative.
Do heat pumps actually reduce carbon emissions compared with gas boilers?
Yes. The UK Climate Change Committee identifies heat pumps as one of the country's primary routes to decarbonising home heating, and UK heat pump installations rose 56% in 2024 alone. A reversible heat pump also delivers efficient summer cooling from the same unit, rather than adding a separate cooling-only load.
What refrigerants does CoolPath train technicians to use?
CoolPath trains every technician to F-Gas Category 1 standard, the legal UK qualification for handling refrigerants safely. Training focuses on current low-GWP refrigerants such as R32 and R290 (propane), which cut warming potential by up to 99.86% compared with the legacy refrigerant R410A.
Isn't the answer to just use less air conditioning?
For the UK's most heat-vulnerable people (older residents, care home patients, people with long-term health conditions), cooling is now a public health necessity, not a discretionary luxury. UKHSA recorded roughly 1,504 heat-associated deaths in summer 2025 alone, and on comparable methodology, 2,544 cold-associated deaths across just three cold episodes the following winter. The real choice is efficient, accredited installation versus inefficient, uncertified installation, not "air conditioning or none."
How can a college or training provider partner with CoolPath?
Colleges join as founding partners supplying F-Gas Category 1 and RACHP apprenticeship (ST0322) places to fully funded, pre-guaranteed candidates, improving completion and destination-outcome figures without adding to recruitment marketing spend. Email partners@coolpath.co.uk to discuss a pilot cohort.
How does CoolPath align with government and local council funding schemes?
CoolPath's recruit-train-accredit-network model plugs directly into funding already committed by government (including the Youth Guarantee for 18-21 year-olds and the £15bn Warm Homes Plan), giving councils and departments a ready-made, evidenced delivery partner rather than a new scheme to fund from scratch.
Can manufacturers and distributors extend their installer network through CoolPath?
Yes. CoolPath is manufacturer-agnostic and never sells hardware or competes with distribution networks; it recruits and trains a growing, REFCOM-registered, F-Gas Category 1 qualified technician pipeline that extends an existing approved-installer scheme under the manufacturer's own brand.
How can investors get involved with CoolPath?
CoolPath is raising an initial £350,000 to fund brand launch, the CoolPath Connect build, a nationwide awareness campaign and early working capital, with diversified revenue from training margin, installation commission, finance facilitation and CoolPath Connect. Email partners@coolpath.co.uk for the full financial forecast.
Let's build this together
Whether you're a college, a council, a manufacturer, a prospective investor, or a candidate looking to join us, we'd welcome a conversation. Fill in the form below and it comes straight to our inbox; no email app needed.
Bracknell, RG12 9TY, United Kingdom
Technician Application Form
Apply for a fully funded certification course, or, if you're already qualified, join our Certified F-Gas Technician Registry (CFTR). No cost to you at any stage. Takes about ten minutes.
Prefer to fill this in offline? Download the Word version and email it to joinus@coolpath.co.uk. Otherwise, complete the form below and it will be sent straight to our team.