Firms looking to improve the skills and qualifications of their workforce to deliver the Green Deal are to benefit from £1.4 million of new Government funding.
The two-year funding will target the
retrofit and
construction sector, where 65,000 jobs are expected to be created on the back of the Government’s flagship
Green Deal scheme by 2015. The
Green Deal Skills Alliance (GDSA), a partnership of SummitSkills, Asset Skills and ConstructionSkills, secured the funding from the Government’s £61 million Employer Investment Fund (EIF) and said it would be used to create "qualifications frameworks" and "on the ground support" for employers looking to improve the
skills of their workforce in time for the launch of the multi-billion pound scheme next autumn.
"At a very challenging time for businesses in building services engineering, securing this funding is great news," Keith Marshall, chief executive of SummitSkills, said. "Now that we're counting down to the launch of the Government's Green Deal initiative in October 2012, preparing the workforce to take advantage of the opportunities it offers will help to secure the future success of our sector."
Green Deal opportunity
The Government wants to insulate 14 million homes between now and 2020 through the Green Deal. The 'pay as you save’ scheme will enable homeowners and businesses to invest in loft and cavity wall insulation, lagging and other
energy efficiency measures at no upfront cost.
Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has said it will kick start £14 billion of
investment over the next decade in energy saving upgrades to households and businesses creating a "massive business opportunity for firms up and down Britain".
But those firms will need to be accredited and have the right skills to deliver Green Deal services. The GDSA has been set up to ensure these skills needs are met across the construction and
building services engineering sector.
"The Green Deal will be the route to energy efficiency, and lower fuel bills for many property owners and tenants throughout the UK. A competent, qualified and certificated workforce will be vital for its successful implementation and capturing consumer support," Richard Beamish, chief executive of AssetSkills said.
"Not only will the EIF funding support more engagement with local employers across the country, but it will also support our teams in working with LEPs and Local Authorities, as a means of providing the necessary guidance all businesses will need – as the details of the Green Deal and Government's commitment to this initiative are rolled out next year," Mark Farrar, chief executive of ConstructionSkills, added.
The GDSA has just delivered a series of roadshows across the country to help small and medium-sized businesses understand the Green Deal and provide business advice and guidance on how to exploit the new market. The new funding will support more of these localised interactions to support industry.
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