A national trade body is launching its summer 2022 apprenticeship programme, developed to tackle a skills gap in a specialist area of construction that often goes under the radar as a potential career choice. The property care sector can offer a lifetime of learning and a varied, interesting and rewarding career,
To help create a sustainable community, Hull City Council and Hull Citywide Developer Partnership, a consortium of developers that includes Keepmoat Homes and Strata Homes, is supporting skills for prisoners by providing them with old pallets from their new housing developments. These are then upcycled into planters and used to
Vital Energi has partnered with The City of Liverpool College for the second year to deliver bespoke renewable energy and heat network apprenticeship programmes across the country. Scaling up heat networks and generating energy from renewable technologies is at the heart of the Government’s plans to boost the UK’s energy
Hayfield has appointed Sam Foglia as a Contracts Manager to oversee three of the award-winning housebuilder’s developments, located in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The expansion of the construction team is in line with Hayfield seeking to deliver a turnover of £150m during the current financial year. Sam Foglia joins from Barratt/David
Baxi apprentice service engineers took part in a week-long team building course this month, designed to develop the next generation of installers with activities focusing on personal development and problem solving. The programme was tailored to Baxi’s visions and values, with apprentices undertaking team-based exercises linked to their Level 3
West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, visited the Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) Skills Academy at South and City College Birmingham’s Bordesley Green campus yesterday and welcomed the news that 3,000 more local people are set to benefit from employment opportunities on HS2. The Balfour Beatty VINCI Skills Academy, which sits within
Peter Sharpe has joined Bouygues UK as Project Director, starting work on Zone One of the innovative Pentre Awel development in Llanelli. Peter joins Bouygues UK from Laing O’Rourke and Balfour Beatty where he held Senior Project Leader positions. His new appointment sees him returning to Bouygues UK, following his
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model
Training provider the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) has come to the aid of facilities hit with spiralling materials costs by providing £54,000 of additional financial assistance. The substantial funding to the electrical departments at 21 Approved Centres – which range from Stornoway and Thurso in the north to
A national trade body is launching its summer 2022 apprenticeship programme, developed to tackle a skills gap in a specialist area of construction that often goes under the radar as a potential career choice. The property care sector can offer a lifetime of learning and a varied, interesting and rewarding career, but it is not as widely known or recognised as other trades. To tackle the issue, the Property Care Association (PCA) launched its damp and timber apprenticeship in 2015, to develop a new generation of professionals with the important skills necessary to preserve and protect properties nationwide. Open to both PCA members and non-members alike across the UK, the programme takes a company employee or apprentice working in the damp, timber and building preservation sector through the award of the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 2 Diploma in ‘Insulation and Building Treatments (Wood Preserving and Damp-proofing)’ Qualification. The programme is structured in a modularised manner, through a mix of formal instruction “off-the-job” training, followed by supervised “on-the-job” training. It offers an insight into subjects including wet and dry rot, wood boring insects, rising damp and timber treatments. Jade Stocker, PCA Training Manager, said: “The damp and timber apprenticeship is delivered over a period of 18 months, with the programme divided into two main sections, training and assessment. Over the first 12 months, all apprenticeship training is delivered at our Practical Training Centre in Huntingdon, which is specifically kitted out for hands-on training. “Apprentices visit us five times over the first 12 months in four-day blocks. Once all apprenticeship training has been completed, a specialist assessor is assigned for the candidate, with six months allocated to complete the assessment process.” The PCA is now taking bookings for its June intake. Jade added: “Since its launch in 2015, the apprenticeship has achieved one of the highest retention rates in the construction sector. We look forward to welcoming our new trainees in June and supporting their training and development journey into the property care sector.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
To help create a sustainable community, Hull City Council and Hull Citywide Developer Partnership, a consortium of developers that includes Keepmoat Homes and Strata Homes, is supporting skills for prisoners by providing them with old pallets from their new housing developments. These are then upcycled into planters and used to grow food in the local community. The scheme is the first of its kind and aims to reduce site waste whilst providing offenders with key skills for future employment, as well as help them position themselves for greater work and volunteering opportunities upon release. The first planters have been handed over to the new Cropton Park Community Allotment off Bricknell Avenue, which is being developed by EMS with the support of Hull City Council’s Wyke Area Team. All parties, including Keepmoat Homes, are working in collaboration with Investors in Community, allowing the prisoners to accurately record the hours they work on the planters, which they’ll be able to access on release. Having launched earlier this year, the prisoners have spent over 85 hours in total and made 52 planters to date. At HMP Hull, we’re driven to provide prisoners with meaningful employment opportunities whilst in custody, along with relevant skills and training that they will be able to use on release, with an aim to help them find work and live law-abiding lives, and this project fits perfectly with everything we are trying to achieve,” said Thomas Leech, Industries Manager at HMP Hull. “Prisoners are learning new skills and working hard to produce planters from items that would have essentially gone to landfill. These planters are then given to people in the local community that have earned them through community credits doing things such as volunteering time to do litter picking within the community. The fact that prisoners are giving something back to the community creates a sense of pride and are real sense of purpose for the prisoners.” Once made, the planters are donated to EMS, a local charity in Hull that works with residents, community groups and local businesses to alleviate food and fuel poverty. The charity sets up community vegetable gardens that aim to promote a healthy lifestyle, allowing residents and families without a garden or allotment to grow their own produce. The planters, food growing and support to become more sustainable are part of a recognition scheme for local volunteers working with EMS. “This project ticks all the boxes for everyone involved and demonstrates our collective commitment to establishing a more biodiverse and sustainable environment for our community. It was an inspirational initiative from Keepmoat Homes, the council’s long term development partner, for the wood to be repurposed, rather than sending it to landfill,” said Cllr Peter North, Chair of Hull City Council’s Wyke Area. “The training and work experience gained enhances prisoners’ employment prospects on release, and our residents benefit from well-crafted planters for the community garden with EMS. I look forward to working on future projects alongside our partners to ensure we make best use of our precious green spaces for the benefit of our communities.” Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
Vital Energi has partnered with The City of Liverpool College for the second year to deliver bespoke renewable energy and heat network apprenticeship programmes across the country. Scaling up heat networks and generating energy from renewable technologies is at the heart of the Government’s plans to boost the UK’s energy security and achieve the country’s Net Zero target by 2050. To achieve this, 18% of heat will need to come from heat networks. As it stands today, connections to heat networks represents just 2%, so we need the resource and skills to deliver this infrastructure. In response to this, Vital – which has over 30 years’ experience in delivering heat networks – is joining forces with The City of Liverpool College, which will deliver the curriculum from the £2m state-of-the-art Training Academy located at Vital’s Blackburn headquarters, for two pathways: Craft and Technical. Both pathways will enable apprentices to learn and work within the renewable energy and heat networks market. They will discover how energy is generated and distributed, and how to manage and reduce consumption for residential and commercial clients. Apprentices will also learn how carbon emissions are reduced through Vital’s renewable technologies and the innovative products they have developed. The initiative follows an incredibly successful first year for the programmes, which demonstrate the organisations’ commitments to developing the key industry skills required to achieve net zero and create a sustainable workforce to shape the energy landscape for the future. Liverpool City Region has an ambition to reach net zero carbon by 2040 and The City of Liverpool College is focussed on developing its curriculum around the needs of industry, creating a workforce for the future by developing the skills needed to enter the world of work in sustainable careers. Lindsay Meadows, Head of Apprenticeships at The City of Liverpool College, said: “Our partnership with Vital Energi is built on the knowledge and skills of its engineers and our innovative curriculum leaders at The City of Liverpool College. Working with progressive, exciting organisations such as Vital Energi helps us to continue to innovate and provide our students with the skills they need to enter the workforce and forge successful, sustainable careers. “The apprenticeships will play an essential role in developing the skills needed to deliver our low carbon future, while giving apprentices the skills and knowledge they need to thrive and forge sustainable careers in the industry.” The programmes will be delivered via a blended mix of virtual online teaching and a minimum of 25 days curriculum learning each year within the Training Academy. Apprentices will spend the majority of their time on-site working on real projects, where they will pick up a wealth of skills through hands-on experience and support from Vital’s expert team. During the three-year Craft programme, apprentices will study for a Level 3 Building Services Engineering Craftsperson qualification. They will learn a range of key skills from pipework fabrication and jointing techniques such as electro fusion jointing, to welding, the installation of plumbing and heating systems, and more. At the end of the Technical programme, apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Building Services Design Technician qualification, after developing their understanding of building services design principles. On his experience of the programme, Harvey Hudson, Technical Apprentice, commented: “As well as a better understanding of the job and career, spending time in a variety of departments has helped broaden my knowledge of the industry and the many different aspects required for a successful project. I’m also able to gain valuable, practical experience and learn from site-based professionals, which I know will help me to hit the ground running in my career.” Chris Roach, a site-based Project Manager at Vital Energi, started his career journey at The City of Liverpool College when he was 18 years old, where he completed a four-year Mechanical Building Engineering apprenticeship. He studied Building Services Engineering in the first two years before focussing on Mechanical Building Services Engineering in the last two. As well as achieving a HND, Chris won the North West HVAC Student Engineer of the year in 2005, and the National CIBSE HVAC Student Engineer of the year in 2005. His hard work and determination throughout his apprenticeship formed a solid platform for his future career. Chris Roach, Project Manager at Vital Energi, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my time as an apprentice at The City of Liverpool College, and as well as gaining a wealth of skills through hands on experience and support from tutors, it allowed me to discover the career path I wanted to follow. “I strongly believe that my apprenticeship formed a great foundation for my career path. Here at Vital, we’re working on exciting projects across the whole of the UK to help our clients reach net zero. We’ve connected over 82,000 homes to heat networks so far and in my opinion, there is no better time to join us!” During the three-year Craft programme, apprentices will study for a Level 3 Building Services Engineering Craftsperson qualification. They will learn a range of key skills from pipework fabrication and jointing techniques such as electro fusion jointing, to welding, the installation of plumbing and heating systems, and more. At the end of the Technical programme, apprentices will achieve a Level 3 Building Services Design Technician qualification, after developing their understanding of building services design principles.
Hayfield has appointed Sam Foglia as a Contracts Manager to oversee three of the award-winning housebuilder’s developments, located in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The expansion of the construction team is in line with Hayfield seeking to deliver a turnover of £150m during the current financial year. Sam Foglia joins from Barratt/David Wilson Developments, where he was a Project Manager, coordinating trades, direct labour and materials to meet production programmes. During his five-year tenure with the volume housebuilder, he also closely monitored and upheld quality and safety standards. Mr Foglia was an NHBC Pride in the Job winner two years running – in 2019 and 2020. He has accumulated over 20 years’ experience in the construction industry. Ken Mulpeter, Production Director for Hayfield said: “We are delighted to welcome Sam to the team, as his housebuilding and technical experience – together with his success with the NHBC Pride in the Job Awards – will be a great asset to Hayfield. He has a passion for quality and is well-versed at working in partnership with other departments and supply chains. He will be able to steer our site-based teams to deliver the premium homes we have built our multi award-winning reputation on.” Sam is currently working towards becoming a chartered construction manager with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), which he is looking to accomplish before the end of 2022. Mr Foglia has been appointed to oversee the final phase of construction at Hayfield Oaks in Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire, where the homes will benefit from a zero carbon ready specification. Sam’s other live projects include the £31m Hayfield Park scheme in Bromham, which is within the Borough of Bedford. The development of 80 zero carbon ready homes has recently launched for off-plan sales, with the site due to be unveiled to the public later this year. His third project – also in Bedfordshire – is Hayfield Gate, located in the village of Clifton, where construction is underway for the final phase of 95 homes. Sam Foglia, Contracts Manager for Hayfield said: “Hayfield has quickly developed a reputation for having a fantastic brand and a fantastic team. The specification, design and overall quality of each house really shows, and I hope I can add value to the business by overseeing delivery of many more exceptional homes. I can already see that there is a strong sense of pride in the quality of the product delivered to customers and this will be the focus of everything I seek to do, both with colleagues and the supply chain.” Solihull-headquartered Hayfield is proactively installing air source heat pumps, underfloor heating, EV fast-charging points, and fibre optic broadband into all new and upcoming developments, in line with its strong ESG foundations. The expansion of the construction team is in line with Hayfield seeking to deliver 350 homes during 2022. The company is gearing up to deliver 500 homes annually, supported by a portfolio of sites to enable visible production into the future. For more information on Hayfield’s development portfolio, visit: https://www.hayfieldhomes.co.uk/
Baxi apprentice service engineers took part in a week-long team building course this month, designed to develop the next generation of installers with activities focusing on personal development and problem solving. The programme was tailored to Baxi’s visions and values, with apprentices undertaking team-based exercises linked to their Level 3 Domestic Service Engineering apprenticeship scheme. During the week spent at SKERN Training & Skills in Devon, apprentices experienced climbing, rafting, and tunnelling. Each practical exercise was designed to help the apprentices improve teamwork, leadership, risk assessment and communication. Krystal McKinnell, Apprenticeships Coordinator at Baxi Heating, said: “Investing in apprenticeships is vital for tackling the skills gap in the UK heating sector. By supporting and training individuals throughout their professional journey, we hope to make a difference and give people a head start as they join the industry.” Baxi apprentice, Liam Bate, said:“I really enjoyed the course and built a good rapport with the other apprentices in my group, which is useful as I may end up working alongside them in the future. We all worked well together as a team and identified each other’s strengths and points for development. Apprentice, Madison Dowding, said: “I enjoyed the teamwork aspect of this course and learned to take other people’s ideas into consideration. I kept my learning log up to date throughout the week and will apply what I learned in my apprenticeship end point assessment.” As well as offering entry-level apprenticeship schemes, Baxi also supports qualified heating engineers with training courses tailored towards the introduction of low carbon systems. For more information about Baxi’s training opportunities, visit: www.baxi.co.uk
West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, visited the Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV) Skills Academy at South and City College Birmingham’s Bordesley Green campus yesterday and welcomed the news that 3,000 more local people are set to benefit from employment opportunities on HS2. The Balfour Beatty VINCI Skills Academy, which sits within one of Birmingham’s most deprived wards, first opened its doors in November 2021, as part of a dedicated drive to upskill local people ready for work on HS2. Since it opened with £1.1m backing from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Skills Academy has supported local people who were out of work into a job or onto further training in readiness for their chosen career path supporting HS2’s construction. Today, the Mayor and Cllr Ian Courts, Chair of the HS2 Regional Enterprise Board, and leader of Solihull Council, welcomed the news that the Skills Academy is gearing up to train more people, ready to transition into 3,000 jobs over the next four years with Balfour Beatty VINCI’s labour supply chain partners. The Mayor said: “One of the main reasons I fought so hard to secure HS2 for the West Midlands was the local jobs it would create, and so it is brilliant to see that coming to fruition now. “This exciting collaboration between Balfour Beatty VINCI and South and City College Birmingham, supported by our funding, is helping to give thousands of local people the opportunity to find high-quality and well-paid jobs as part of this once-in-a-generation infrastructure project. This Skills Academy is exactly the kind of initiative that helps those who have fallen out of work find employment as part of my 100k jobs plan.” HS2 Minister, Andrew Stephenson said: “HS2 is about boosting transport, driving business and creating thousands of long lasting jobs that will level up the nation. “Balfour Beatty Skills Academy embodies all of this, not only supporting local jobs but giving workers the opportunity to upskill for free and gain valuable experience working on Europe’s biggest infrastructure project.” The BBV Skills Academy is the first of its kind in the region, but plans are in place to open more centres across the Midlands, making it easier for local people to gain the free training, accreditation and support they need to begin a career on HS2. BBV estimates it will support circa 7,000 jobs to deliver its programme of work on HS2, and in the West Midlands, it is estimated that the construction of HS2 will generate a constant labour demand of around 10,000 jobs from now until 2027/28. Shilpi Akbar, Balfour Beatty VINCI’s Head of Skills, Employment and Education, said: “At Balfour Beatty VINCI, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing employment opportunities for people across the region. It is one of our top priorities and a core reason we launched our Skills Academy at South and City College last year. “We want everyone – particularly those who are currently unemployed – to join us and realise the wide range of benefits that can be derived from a career in the construction and infrastructure industry; careers that will take shape and flourish while working to deliver Britain’s new high-speed railway.” At the Bordesley Green campus, thanks to BBV’s partnership venture with South and City College Birmingham, students can gain hands on experience in plant machinery operation, traffic and fire marshalling, alongside nationally recognised accreditation from the Construction Skills Certification Scheme. With no previous experience or skills required, students typically complete BBV’s specialist general operatives training programme in four to six weeks, enabling them to progress onto a paid work trial in their preferred construction career field. On successful completion of the trial, candidates are job matched to roles with BBV’s local labour providers, where they begin their career on HS2. In a short space of time, the programme has supported people of all ages and backgrounds who were formerly unemployed into work. René Nunes from Birmingham was unemployed for two years and was eager to find a job that provided long term security. Through HS2’s job brokerage partner model, which sees its contractors work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and National Careers Service to support local people who are out of work into a job on HS2, René was referred to the Skills Academy and onto the general operatives training programme. He is now working full time at HS2’s construction site in Water Orton and is a vital part of the facilities and maintenance team. René said: “I feel really privileged to have secured this job and to be working on a project of this scale. The sheer size of HS2’s construction programme is phenomenal and it’s great that I get to work at different sites and see it all coming together. “No two days are the same, which is what I really enjoy about my job, and I genuinely feel part of the team that is bringing HS2 to the region.” During the visit, guests were invited to meet with former trainees who have transitioned into employment, as well as students who have an expressed an interest in joining the next general operatives training programme. 35-year-old Imran from Sparkbrook in Birmingham lost his job during the pandemic. He’d always been interested in construction, particularly engineering and design. When he was given a flyer advertising the Skills Academy, and its free construction training programme, he jumped at the chance and registered for an induction. Imran completed his training in just six weeks and is now working with BBV’s surveying team at the Washwood Heath construction site which will be home to HS2’s train depot and control centre. Imran said: “I am passionate and proud to be contributing to HS2’s construction. As a member of the surveying team, I play a vital role in ensuring that designs are delivered to the exact specification and with precision. I work closely with the designers and engineers and really take pride in my job. Knowing that I am playing a part in
Peter Sharpe has joined Bouygues UK as Project Director, starting work on Zone One of the innovative Pentre Awel development in Llanelli. Peter joins Bouygues UK from Laing O’Rourke and Balfour Beatty where he held Senior Project Leader positions. His new appointment sees him returning to Bouygues UK, following his role as Project Director for Pembrokeshire Learning College in 2016. “These are exciting times returning to Bouygues UK as Project Director to deliver the prestigious Pentre Awel Wellbeing and Life Sciences Village at Machynys,” said Peter of his appointment. “The multi-disciplined project provides the environment to share my skills with the project team and stakeholders, as well as interact with the local community, identifying opportunities to deliver community benefits from this great project. I’m looking forward to working with the Senior Leadership team to further grow and develop Bouygues UK’s aspirations in this region.” He is now leading the build of the prestigious £87 million Pentre Awel development which will bring together life science and business innovation, community healthcare and modern leisure facilities at the 83-acre Delta Lakes site on the Llanelli coastline. Pentre Awel is the largest regeneration project in south West Wales. It aims to create around 1,800 jobs over 15 years, boosting the local economy by more than £450 million. The project is being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council, in partnership with Hywel Dda University Health Board, Universities and Colleges. Bouygues UK’s construction of the development will include business and innovation, integrated care and physical rehabilitation facilities, a well-being skills centre, and a new state-of-the-art leisure centre, along with landscaped outdoor public spaces for walking and cycling. “It is great to welcome Peter back to the Bouygues UK fold, and it is particularly gratifying to have a Project Director of his experience and calibre on a project such as Pentre Awel. This is such an exciting project for us, as well as for the client Carmarthenshire Council, and we are really looking forward to starting this amazing build, with Peter at the helm,” added John Boughton, Bouygues UK Managing Director in Wales. Bouygues UK is holding a Meet the Buyer event at Parc y Scarlets on 30th March, where local sub-contractors are invited to come along and discuss the opportunities available on the build of Pentre Awel Zone One. Building, Design and Construction Magazine | The Home of Construction Industry News
GMI Construction Group’s dedication to developing skills through earn and learn opportunities has earned it membership of the prestigious 5% Club. The employer-led UK charity, made up of more than 650 members, inspires and educates businesses and organisations to increase the number of apprentices, sponsored students, and graduate trainees with the aim of alleviating poverty through increased employment. One of the largest independent construction companies in the North of England and the Midlands, GMI Construction Group has long championed apprenticeships and undergraduate work placements as a way of encouraging young people into the industry. It has developed links with seven universities: Leeds Beckett, Nottingham Trent, Coventry, Birmingham City, Salford, Liverpool John Moores and Sheffield Hallam and employs four undergraduates per year undertaking construction-related degrees. In addition, the company has also forged close ties with Leeds College of Building. In addition, GMI Construction Group, which employs 213 people, recently recruited three apprentices to bring its cohort to 16. An example of its ethos and passion for training and development can be found in the £200m train manufacturing plant GMI is currently delivering on behalf of Siemens Mobility in Goole, East Yorkshire. Here, it has created four apprenticeships, and five university and college work placements, as well as hosting educational visits and workshops for schools, colleges, and universities. The company, with offices in Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, and Teesside, believes work placements provide participants with a real insight into working on construction sites. Construction students from Wirral Met College recently engaged in placements, apprenticeships, job opportunities and site visits to the Wirral Waters regeneration project at Birkenhead, while four Level 3 Construction & the Built Environment students from Leeds College of Building have been involved in the build of a new 604-bed purpose built student accommodation in the city and Thorpe Park in a partnership that will continue to grow. Lee Powell, CEO of GMI Construction Group, said: “This company is committed to encouraging the next generation into the construction industry, to develop their skills and create clear pathways of progression. “Earn and learn opportunities are key to developing employees who not only possess the industry knowledge but also have hands-on practical experience. We offer everything from apprenticeships to trainee site manager training, backed up by the necessary mentoring and support that they require to grow in their career. “This approach also benefits the business as it delivers more effective and motivated employees, while ensuring an inclusive and accessible workplace.” Gill Cronin, operations director of The 5% Club, said: “I’m delighted to welcome GMI Construction Group as a member. The construction industry is a major employer of apprentices and graduates and it’s excellent to see that it is setting a great example and providing a wealth of opportunities.”
The City of Liverpool College is expanding its highly successful apprenticeships programme to tradesmen and budding apprentices across the country, as part of its mission to close the skills gap and contribute to a greener future. From September, the College will be moving away from the existing ‘day release’ model of its Level 3 The Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heat Pump (RACHP) Engineering Technician Apprenticeship, and instead rolling out a ‘block release’ structure. In the current delivery model, apprentices are required to attend the College once a week over the course of the year for up to three years, with, apprentices therefore ideally needing to be based in the local area to make the frequent commute. With an increasing number of the College’s employer partners successfully winning work nationally, the College has introduced an innovative new approach which will enable it to adapt to the needs of employers across both the Liverpool City Region (LCR) and the rest of the UK. The introduction of the new block model means that apprentices will attend the College’s Vauxhall Road premises for seven one-week periods over the course of the academic year, opening opportunities to long-distance apprentices and company partnerships, who can book their apprentices onto the invaluable course. This new structure also allows employers to plan for the absence of their apprentices, avoiding complications with the workforce, which has previously impacted employers enrolling their staff on to the courses. The new RACHP model will lead the way in training the next generation of renewable installers to help meet ambitious carbon reduction and climate change targets set by government. It comes as the UK heat sector is set to play an integral part in the transition to net-zero, with the Climate Change Committee anticipating that, to reach 2050 climate targets of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, 17 million UK homes may have a heat pump installed. Last year, the Government announced its 10-point plan for a ‘Green Industrial Revolution’, which highlighted the critical importance of decarbonising homes across the country. The plan included the phase-out of gas heating in new homes by 2023 and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028. Following the announcement, the demand for heat pumps in the UK began to soar, with more homeowners striving to be eco-friendly and embracing the benefits that come from installing heat pumps, such as lower long-term energy costs. At the same time, the Heat Pump Association (HPA) warned the sector was suffering low levels of technology deployment and could also be hindered by a skills gap in the sector, as it was estimated 60,000 installation workers will be needed by 2028 to help meet these targets, but only 1,800 people currently possessed the right training. The City of Liverpool College recognises the need to invest in the training and upskilling of over 40,000 heat pump installers needed by 2035, to achieve widescale deployment and close the skills gap in the industry. Over 30 local businesses already work in partnership with the College on its RACHP apprenticeship, and with the launch of this new model, the College predicts a significant increase in this number from companies across the country looking to welcome new workers and upskill current employees as demand in this area increases. Lindsey Meadows, Head of Apprenticeships at The City of Liverpool College, said: “As we continue our mission as the College for business, it’s important that we open our doors to more companies and apprentices from across the country and do our part in closing the skill gap that is currently present in the heating technology industry. “This new model means apprentices from across the country can attend the course and gain their highly-valued qualification in a more convenient format, which is also hugely beneficial for employers. “The new format will ensure employers can access the skilled workforce needed to help the country build back greener after the pandemic. We are helping to set the standards for the industry, providing the vital skills and opportunities required to be at the forefront of a Green Industrial Revolution. “We are delighted to be opening the doors to this apprenticeship built for a green future, which creates the right skills and environment for our industry to grow. “Through this apprenticeship, we are hoping to help diminish some of the barriers that existing engineers face when looking to expand into low-carbon heating, including difficulty finding dedicated courses and courses that then meet the needs of the installer.” The new format will launch with the new academic year from September and apprentices and businesses can enrol by visiting https://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/courses/refrigeration-air-conditioning-and-heat-pump-engineering-technician-level-3-apprenticeship-standard/.
Training provider the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) has come to the aid of facilities hit with spiralling materials costs by providing £54,000 of additional financial assistance. The substantial funding to the electrical departments at 21 Approved Centres – which range from Stornoway and Thurso in the north to Dumfries in the south – was delivered after costs rose by approximately 30% in just a few months. SECTT says the extra money recognises the huge contribution that the 20 colleges and one private centre make to training as well as the vital importance of apprenticeships to the future of the electrical industry in Scotland. Anne Galbraith, CEO of SECTT, said: “The past two years have been extremely difficult for all the centres, which were closed for face-to-face learning for long periods. Working with SECTT, they responded magnificently with online learning, which certainly filled a gap until they were able to reopen. “However, now we are back to in-person learning again, the rising cost of materials that are essential for training courses has proved a challenge for all our colleges, so we were more than happy to assist. “Electrical apprentices require considerable practical training, so the centres were made a priority, with the money approved by the SECTT Board of Trustees at a recent meeting and allocated proportionately to the number of classes starting in the 2021 recruitment year.” Scott Foley, Regional Officer at Unite the Union, and Chair of the SECTT Trustees, added: “SECTT is pleased to be able to make this financial contribution to our college partners as we have been a consistent advocate of the practical encouragement of young people and of the value of meaningful training. “SECTT has achieved major success in recent years, not least in establishing a new perception of the next generation of electricians by emphasising their skill, dedication and professionalism as well as the competence, confidence and maturity required to achieve their qualified status. “This has been reflected in the 770 apprentices and adult trainees who enrolled on the electrical apprenticeship in 2021 – the highest figure for 12 years – and recruitment remains buoyant.” SECTT was established in 1990 by Unite the Union and Scotland’s largest construction trade association, SELECT and now manages the Scottish Joint Industry Board (SJIB) training scheme for electrical apprenticeships in Scotland. During the pandemic, it offered an employment lifeline to apprentices made redundant by the fallout from COVID-19 and loaned computers to electrical apprentices and trainees to allow them to continue their studies remotely.
