Asset Skills secures £1.4 million to continue building a greener future

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Dec 2011

Asset Skills, as part of the Green Deal Skills Alliance, has secured £1.4 million funding to continue its work in preparing the built environment workforce for the launch of the Green Deal.

The funding was secured from the Government's £61m Employer Investment Fund - a flagship initiative managed by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, which is designed to boost enterprise, jobs and growth.

Over the past six months the Green Deal Skills Alliance (consisting Asset Skills, ConstructionSkills and SummitSkills) has been working to provide a skilled and qualified workforce to operate within the Green Deal, the Government's flagship energy efficiency policy, due to launch in October next year.

The work has been centred on developing a Common Competency Framework which offers additional learning units to ensure that Green Deal professionals provide good customer service with a holistic understanding of the overall Green Deal process. The framework takes into account issues around heritage listed buildings, installers and advisors understanding each other's roles and renewable technologies.

Richard Beamish, Chief Executive of Asset Skills said:

"The success of the Green Deal will depend on a highly qualified workforce delivering a high level of service. The funding we have received supports the implementation of this work and we are grateful to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills."

"The importance of training an advisor to understand wider topics like renewable technologies will make sure that professionals have a "whole house" approach to the Green Deal and don't work in their specialist silos."

In addition to the Common Competency Framework, Asset Skills has been delivering a series of UK-wide, awareness raising, road shows. The road shows have been well attended and the new funding will ensure that similar activity can continue in the run up to Green Deal launch.

The second phase of the project will also see implementation of the new Green Deal learning and collaboration with existing regional low carbon initiatives. Work on the project will begin in 2012 and complete in 2014.

For more information please contact greendeal@assetskills.org or call 0845 678 2 888.