£8m Training Funding Opens to Upskill Retrofit Workforce

TRAINING PROVIDERS across England can bid for a share of £8.85m public funding to offer courses in retrofitting and installing insulation.

Colleges and accreditation providers will be able to bid for a share of the fund to upskill up to 8,000 installers or train those new to the industry in the skills and expertise needed to retrofit homes with energy saving measures.

The courses will be free or provided at low cost, and will cover a range of energy efficiency measures, from putting in loft insulation to draft proofing.

Training providers will have until 25 August 2023 to apply for the funding to deliver the courses, with training places expected to open later this year.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “We need an army of skilled professionals able to install insulation and other energy-saving measures in homes across the country.

“Today’s funding will give training providers the opportunity to put on the courses needed to help create the skilled workforce ready to join this rapidly-growing market, with people able to benefit from these courses at low or no cost.”

Nearly half of homes in England now have an Energy Performance Certificate rating of C or above. The funding aims to increase this number and help occupiers save on their energy bills.

Home Decarbonisation Skills Training

Called the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition, accredited energy efficiency training will help build capacity in the supply chain. It will upskill individuals which will support organisations to gain PAS 2030 certification, the industry specification to which all energy efficiency installers must be certified to join in government funded schemes. This will include installer training that leads to a recognised qualification NVQ or equivalent, and short courses.

Training, which will be delivered until 31 March 2024, will be focused on two packages:

• retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator: provision and delivery of training to PAS 2035 standards
• insulation: provision and delivery of training to National Occupation Standards or higher in the installation of domestic insulation measures

David Pierpoint, CEO of training provider The Retrofit Academy said: “It is essential we use this funding to unlock more talent, upskill workforces and drive the infrastructure required to decarbonise the UK housing stock.”

The fund joins the £5m Heat Training Grant, which aims to train 10,000 low-carbon heating installers to work on heat pumps and heat networks by April 2025.

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