The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a £9.2 million scheme that will help establish 9,000 training courses for heat pump and energy efficiency installers.
In doing so, installers will be able to train in green jobs via the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training competition. This will be of particular importance as the UK transitions to renewable technologies and reduces the carbon intensities of buildings.
It will also help train the existing work force to work with low carbon technologies. Training courses will be free.
“The green energy sector is driving growth and creating jobs right across the country, and this funding will make sure we have enough tradespeople trained up and able to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Business and Energy minister Lord Callanan.
“We are making homes greener and cheaper to keep warm and training thousands more skilled installers will ensure we keep accelerating the pace of creating cleaner and more energy efficient buildings.”
Heat pumps in particular have been an area of focus for the UK government given its emphasis on improving the energy efficiency of homes and buildings situated across the country.
Heat pumps had been included as part of the government’s Green Homes Grant which reduces the upfront costs of the technology and insulation. The grant was first introduced in September 2020 but closed in early 2022 having been plagued with issues throughout its lifespan. One of the primary issues had been the long delays due to the scheme having been administered by American firm ICF.
It was reported that members of the public had been waiting months to be issued vouchers and there being delays in installers being paid. This had led the Environmental Audit Committee to describe the domestic decarbonisation support as “woefully inadequate”.
The government previously allocated £1.5 billion to local authorities in a bid to improve energy efficiency measures in 130,000 low income households across the UK.
This was to be delivered as part of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and Home Upgrade Grant schemes, in which the government would allow social housing providers and local authorities to submit bids for the funding to reduce energy bills.
