This is to spotlight Jake Hay’s, officially the youngest candidate ever to qualify in gas with us here at HTAA!
Enrolling onto the course on his 16th birthday, fresh out of school, we had the pleasure of witnessing him grow into a confident young man!
Jake is a massive credit to himself, a brilliant example of what young people can achieve with the right attitude, and we honestly couldn’t be prouder of the qualified gas engineer he has become.
Jakes Story
Jake first walked through our doors on his 16th birthday, the 18th of June 2024, to sign up for his MLP New Entrant Gas course. More info here: New Entrant MLP ACS Gas Package – Hampshire Training & Assessments
While most lads his age were enjoying their summer holidays, Jake was completely focused on his future.
From day one, he gave us 110% effort. Gas training involves a massive amount of theory, safety regulations, and practical skills that can be incredibly daunting for someone straight out of school, but Jake never shied away from it.
He had a brilliant work ethic and a real buzz about him. Jake was always the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave the classroom. He didn’t just want to learn enough to pass the exams; he was constantly asking our assessors questions because he genuinely wanted to understand how everything worked inside out.
Jake’s hands-on skills and academic focus blew us all away. He took to the technical and mechanical side of the trade naturally, picking up complex fault-finding skills quicker than candidates double his age.
More about Jake: Facebook
What really sets him apart, though, is what he achieved in such a short window. He put his head down and flew through the full course, wrapping the whole thing up by January 2026, taking just 18 months from start to finish.
But he didn’t stop there. At just 17 years old, he has already officially registered himself with Gas Safe. Even better, he passed his first ever Gas Safe inspection with flying colours. To get that registration and ace a regulatory inspection at 17 is a massive achievement that very few people in the country can claim.
The biggest hurdle for Jake was simply his age. Walking into a centre full of older career-changers and experienced tradespeople can be really intimidating when you’re only 16, moving from a school mindset straight into a highly regulated, high-stakes industry.
Whenever the practical side of things or a piece of theory felt tough, he didn’t get discouraged. He just stuck at it, took our feedback on board, and kept trying until he got it perfect.
The change we’ve seen in him over those 18 months has been incredible. He transformed from a school-leaver into a confident, mature young professional. He’s shown so much grit and ambition that he’s already bought his own van and set himself up in business. Jakes set himself up for life before most of his peers have even finished college!
Even though Jake was the youngest person in the room, his work ethic was infectious. This helped raise the standards for everyone else in the class. He was a brilliant classmate to have around. In group practical sessions, he was always looking out for others, working really well with older candidates.
Out in the wider industry, Jake is exactly what the trade needs right now. By qualifying, getting his Gas Safe registration under his belt, and launching his own business at 17, he is a massive inspiration for the younger generation.
Jake is living proof to school-leavers that if you work hard, the trades can give you total independence and a career to be proud of!
Well done Jake, from the whole team at HTAA, we are looking forward to being a part of your life long gas career!
Feeling inspired? Click here: Thinking of Becoming a Gas Engineer: Watch this!
