Almost £1M Awarded to Upskill Retrofit Workers
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has awarded Nottingham and the wider region up to £900,000 for a skills pilot. How will this help to boost the delivery of energy-saving measures?
Some of the funding will go towards developing a plan to train workers in Nottingham and the East Midlands to retrofit homes and make them more energy efficient.
Funding will help to boost the quality of local decarbonisation projects
It isn’t the first time that Nottingham has invested in energy-saving measures, with Nottingham City Homes being the first housing association in the UK to pilot net zero retrofits back in 2017, and hundreds of social homes have since been retrofitted.
The funding will be delegated to the Midlands Net Zero Hub, hosted by Nottingham City Council. The Midlands Net Zero Hub is funded by DESNZ as part of the UK Government’s clean growth strategy. This is one of five local net zero hubs in England.
Net Zero Hubs aim to see investment targeted into decarbonisation projects, increasing not just the number, but the quality and scale of projects being delivered across the regions they are based.
Investing in skills is needed to meet healthier home ambitions
Council delegated decision documents have said that up to £760,000 will be used to “award grant funding, as appropriate, to public sector partners who are collaborating with the Midlands Net Zero Hub on the regional skills pilot project, alongside procuring additional support where required.”
Partners will provide support to train heating installers and construction workers so that they can gain the relevant skills for the future.
Colleges and education establishments may also be given funding to help provide courses to students.
Investing in training people to implement energy-saving measures is needed to meet our net zero targets and gives people the opportunity to amplify their skills so that we help the industry create a skilled workforce ready to join the rapidly growing market.
Building a workforce of sufficient size and skill is needed to achieve the ambition of creating warmer and healthier homes.
The documents added that: “This funding will be managed by the Midlands Net Zero Hub, enabling skills training provision across the region in support of the low carbon economy.”
The hub is well-placed to do this, and it will generate revenue for the council and create jobs across the region.
Continuing, the documents explained that the pilot would be crucial to meeting supply chain targets: “This work also aligns with the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership’s energy strategy and developing local industrial strategy, supporting the skills agenda that will enable green growth.
“Furthermore, it will support the supply chain development that is needed to meet the council’s carbon neutral 2028 ambitions.”
Investment in different regions will be needed to see the industry boost its workforce to the scale needed to make a difference.
