The South London Partnership has launched an online retrofit skills hub to enable construction workers to access more training and qualifications
The Retrofit Skills Centre provides retrofit training and qualifications and aims to support the goal of making 635,000 South London properties more energy efficient over the next decade.
Courses on the online hub include training in PAS 2035-identified roles, such as Retrofit Coordinator and Retrofit Assessor, as well as a range of installation NVQs and apprenticeships.
The green skills offering is part of a commitment by the South London Partnership to support London’s 2030 net zero targets and focuses on boosting the green jobs sector to build a strong, sustainable economy across Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, and Wandsworth.
Capitalising on £17bn of potential retrofit opportunities
Commenting on the launch, Polly Persechino, head of economy, skills and employment at the South London Partnership, said: “The scale of the retrofit opportunity in South London is huge, estimated at £17bn, and we want to make sure our sole traders and construction businesses put themselves at a competitive advantage by being ready to harness it.
“The Retrofit Skills Centre is our way of bringing together everything the construction sector needs, making accessing the necessary green skills training simple and straightforward.
“Not only is upskilling crucial to supporting our goal to reduce carbon emissions, but it will also open doors to more work locally, providing a welcome boost to the South London economy.”
Retrofit skills will be crucial in the coming years for UK construction
Sharing his support for the launch, Sam Eden, director of the Federation of Master Builders London, said: “Retrofit is so important to protect our homes for future generations and reduce our carbon emissions. The scale of it in London is huge, we have 6m homes, many of which need to be retrofitted.
“Legislation is about to change, and funding is about to come in at the SME level meaning building projects will need to meet certain criteria, so it’s so important that the construction workforce upskills in retrofit now.
“Now really is the best time, tradespeople need to be ready with the right qualifications and experience to put clients at ease and deliver retrofit projects to the highest standards.”
To inform the retrofit skills action plan and support its ambitious goals, the South London Partnership has formed a South London Retrofit Taskforce made up of contractors, social landlords, local authorities, further education providers, universities, urban planners, and policymakers.
