Next phase of Home Decarbonisation Skills Training aims to upskill 8,000 retrofit professionals

The next phase of the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition (HDSTC) Phase 2 has been launched by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero which will support the upskilling of the domestic retrofit workforce.

£8.85m of grant funding has been made available through the competition to registered training providers based in England. The aim of the competition, which is being facilitated by the Midlands Net Zero Hub, is to award funding to a range of providers to deliver accredited training at scale to support the retrofit sector.

Through the second iteration of Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition, organisations such as Further Education colleges, training academies, and manufacturer training centres can bid for up to £1m to deliver training for retrofit assessors and coordinators and insulation measures.

Successful projects will be expected to achieve one or more of the following:

• Installation training to the specific technology standard – for example, National Occupational Standards, PAS 2030:2019 standards, PAS 2035 standards or higher
• Training in the installation of one or more individual energy efficiency measures, including training for individuals with existing construction skills and training for those new to the sector
• Support for training in retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator skills to PAS 2035 standard, leading to the relevant qualification

The work packages have been designed around anticipated industry requirements and will look to address key shortage areas that currently exist within the supply chain.

The second phase of the competition builds on the success of the first iteration which saw around £9m allocated to training providers to support training for retrofit assessor and coordinator, insulation, and heat pump courses. 18 providers have delivered over 9,000 high-quality training courses.

Tackling climate change remains a key priority in the UK, and in 2019, the Government set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Buildings play a crucial role in our lives, and in the UK, heating and powering homes accounts for 40% of energy demand and 30% of carbon emissions.

To achieve net zero ambitions, more than 30 million homes need to be decarbonised. Buildings play a crucial role in our lives, and in the UK, heating and powering homes accounts for 40% of energy demand and 30% of carbon emissions.

Over £6bn is being invested by the Government on low carbon heating and improving the energy efficiency of buildings across a range of schemes including Home Upgrade Grant and Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund. The Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition will increase the number of trained installers and retrofit professionals needed to deliver energy efficiency installations at scale.

Interested providers can read the full Competition Guidance and download the application form on the UK Government’s website.

Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said: “We’re investing billions of pounds to improve energy efficiency across the country – saving households hundreds on their bills while making sure Britain’s homes are fit for the future. We’ve already helped millions of people to do this, but 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.”

Michael Gallagher, Head of Midlands Net Zero Hub, said: “We’re pleased to be involved in delivering the third Skills Training Competition on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This scheme will build on the success of the first iteration of Home Decarbonisation Skills Training and the Green Homes Grant Skills Training Competition. Through our delivery of domestic retrofit schemes in the Midlands, we can see how vital the upskilling of the workforce is to ensure that the energy efficiency improvements installed are compliant and deliver real benefits to those who are living in homes that may be hard to heat and power.

“By supporting training providers nationally, they have been enabled to provide courses that have been very well received by learners. We would like to encourage training providers to bid for funding through the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition.”

Find out more about Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition Phase 2.