FE tutors at Barnsley College’s Clean Energy Training Centre for retrofit training with Efficiency North and BE-ST.
A NATIONAL training programme designed to upskill construction educators in retrofit and sustainable building and address the sector’s skill shortage has been brought to England for the first time by leading social housing consortium Efficiency North.
Built Environment – Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), host of both Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre and the Mass Timber Centre of Excellence, delivered the training for Efficiency North in February, building on its two years of development and delivery of the programme across Scotland.
The programme was aimed at further education (FE) sector tutors and managers from six colleges across Yorkshire and the Humber and took the form of a four-day course at Barnsley College’s newly-opened Clean Energy Training Centre, with enrolment later extended nationally across England.
The course will support FE tutors and curriculum managers to strengthen green construction skills teaching, with a focus on building physics, retrofit, the application of digital methods of construction and modern methods of construction (MMC) to reduce skills imbalances in the sector.
Simeon Perry, head of ESG at EN:Procure, the procurement specialist arm of Efficiency North, said: “With the government’s new Warm Homes Plan investing £15 billion to help upgrade up to five million homes by 2030, delivering energy-efficient retrofit at scale demands a workforce with the right skills and confidence. This is no longer an area where half measures will suffice.
“By partnering with BE-ST, Efficiency North has chosen to invest at the very start of the skills pipeline, equipping educators with the expertise to prepare the next generation of retrofit-ready construction professionals and supporting colleges to meet both immediate and long-term green skills demand.”
Designed as a leadership-focused course, the programme directly addressed the acknowledged shortage of skills within the FE sector.
It takes a whole-house approach to retrofit, with a strong emphasis on building physics and the relationship between insulation, ventilation, moisture control and energy performance. Participants also explored how emerging digital tools, including artificial intelligence, are shaping construction delivery.
One of the learners, Richard Favell, carpentry and joinery lecturer at Grantham College, said the course gave him in-depth awareness and discernment of the challenges and opportunities the sector is currently facing: “From the building physics sessions to the retrofit principles, technology in construction and exploration of new and emerging materials, I’ve come away with plenty of practical ideas and insights to apply in my work.”
The programme prioritised hands-on learning, with delegates applying theory through practical activities and live demonstrations. Structured networking sessions enabled knowledge-sharing between colleges and supported the development of consistent, high-quality retrofit training across the sector. Delegates also received comprehensive resource packs to support future course delivery within their own institutions.
Hanna Lundstrom, impact manager at BE-ST, said: “It has been great partnering with Efficiency North to deliver this programme in England. All attendees have brought great enthusiasm in both the practical exercises and the educator-to-educator discussions. From experience delivering the course in both Scotland and England, it is key for educators to get the time and space to identify and share resources on how to embed their learnings into the curriculum.”
The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) projects that Yorkshire and the Humber will need around 26,600 additional construction workers by 2028 to meet projected demand, with an annual average requirement of over 5,320 new recruits each year.
While initially focused on the region, the programme is also open to colleges nationwide to support long-term viability and wider sector impact.
The course was priced at £1,600 per delegate and is expected to generate further demand from FE colleges across England and Wales as the sector prepares to meet the growing requirement for retrofit and sustainable construction training.
For more information on Efficiency North and its skills and sustainability initiatives, visit: www.efficiencynorth.org.
For more information on BE-ST and its skills programmes, visit: https://www.be-st.build/skills-training.
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