Funding for accredited retrofit training and qualifications from The Retrofit Academy has been made available through the MOD’s Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS) scheme
With over 400,000 retrofitters required to upgrade 27 million homes across the UK by 2050, the need for funded retrofit training has never been stronger.
Now, former and current military personnel are being encouraged to embark on a career in sustainable home refurbishments, with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) offering credits for courses from the UK’s driving force in retrofit skills and knowledge.
Using skills learned from these courses, newly qualified retrofit advisors, assessors, or coordinators will be equipped to provide the knowledge that local authorities, social housing providers or their appointed contractors need to make the right decarbonisation upgrades to their building stock.
A variety of levels of training are available
Ex-service and military personnel who are eligible for the scheme can apply for funding towards The Retrofit Academy’s full suite of training courses and qualifications, ranging from levels three to five, including the following:
- AIM Qualifications Level 3 Award in Domestic Retrofit Advice
- AIM Qualifications Level 4 Award in Domestic Retrofit Assessment
- AIM Qualifications Level 5 Diploma in Retrofit Coordination and Risk Management
Ex-service and military personnel must first contact their MOD authorising personnel, or Single Service Representative for all out-of-service applicants, to establish their eligibility for ECL funding.
This is unique to the individual and depends on factors such as their previous use of funding and length of service.
The funded retrofit training will also help kick-start trainee’s careers
This urgency to fill the growing number of green roles has accelerated following the government’s announcement of over £1.8bn in funding through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Home Upgrade Grant (HUG).
With local authorities, housing associations and contractors receiving the capital injection to drive forward with retrofit programmes, ELCAS applicants can use funding to become qualified retrofitters and contribute to these projects.
Once graduated from their course, they will also have access to the Retrofit Academy Careers Hub, a platform that brings new retrofitters together with the key employers across the UK.
Here, the ELCAS graduates can access information about and connect with prospective employers, look for job vacancies and access knowledge resources and training opportunities.
A new avenue for answering the skills shortage
David Pierpoint, CEO of The Retrofit Academy, said: “With the growth of retrofit projects comes a need to address the acute skills gap and fill roles required to deliver success at scale. We are the Workforce Development Partner working with local authorities, housing associations and contractors, addressing the practical retrofit skills gap across the sector by determining how many new people are required to enter the industry to deliver successful retrofit at scale.
“Being able to make our courses available through the ELCAS Scheme is one way we are working to bring more qualified retrofitters into the industry to develop a workforce capable of delivering high quality retrofit at scale. For eligible military personnel, there is no better time to join the retrofit industry as more and more job vacancies open up.”
