Evaluation of Green Homes Grant Skills Training Competition reveals 92% course satisfaction
To strengthen the energy efficiency and low carbon heating sector and to support the roll out of the Green Homes Grant scheme, the Midlands Net Zero Hub ran the national Green Homes Grant Skills Training Competition on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. After the competition ended in October 2021, the Hub commissioned an external evaluation to identify areas of success and lessons learnt from this iteration.
Through the competition, 18 training providers were appointed across the UK to deliver courses across the following work packages: Retrofit Assessor and Coordinator, Insulation, Non-insulation Fabric Measures, Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal, and Heating and Hot Water Controls.
6,938 training courses were successfully delivered, and learner satisfaction was very high, with 92% reporting that they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the training and support they received and 98% saying they would recommend the course to others.
Drawing upon interviews with training providers and learners, along with review of programme and provider documentation, the evaluation of the scheme found strong evidence of a range of beneficial outcomes to learners, including:
- Improved skills, knowledge, and confidence which led to increased willingness and ability to take on new types of work
- Improved skills and knowledge enabling more efficient and economic delivery of works
- Access to new customers and frameworks through qualifications and certifications
- Enhanced reputation, leading to more contracts and being able to charge higher prices for a premium service
- More resilient, ‘future-proofed’ businesses, moving with customer demands and priorities
One learner commented: “We’ve had at least 30 jobs that we wouldn’t have been able to do without the certification. We didn’t do room and roof insulation before, and we have had about six of these jobs since the training. We’re more efficient on ordering materials, use of materials, time management, resource management. Our revenue has increased by 15-20% and profit has increased as well. We’ve recruited three new employees.”
In addition to the benefits to the learners, the training providers also saw multiple benefits from their participation, including enhanced reputation, building of customer and partner networks, and the generation of course content that can be used for future course delivery.
Delivering this competition has allowed the Hub to help deliver the net zero agenda across the country while supporting other areas of work, such as domestic retrofit programmes to improve energy efficiency in homes and reduce instances of fuel poverty.
Read the full report for more information about the Green Homes Grant Skills Training Competition, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for more news about projects across the region.
