A new retrofit training academy hub has been established in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire to meet the growing demand for retrofitters, grow career opportunities for residents, and upskill contractor workforces in the counties.
Created to unlock net zero careers, the training partnership between The Retrofit Academy and the Net Zero Skills Hub at Abingdon & Witney College has set up The Retrofit Academy Oxon and Bucks.
The announcement comes as over £1.8bn from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Homes Upgrade Grant (HUG) funding has increased the demand of number of retrofit professionals across the country.
Students across the counties now have access to the UK’s best quality retrofit courses created and licensed by The Retrofit Academy, the driving force in retrofit knowledge and skills.
Providing residents and organisations across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire with the means to take up the growing number of retrofit job roles, the sector-specific qualifications range from levels 2 to 5 under the PAS 2035 British Standard for retrofit and include:
- Level 2 AIM Qualifications Level 2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit
- Level 3 AIM Qualifications Award in Domestic Retrofit Advice
- Level 4 AIM Qualifications Award in Domestic Retrofit Assessment
- Level 5 AIM Qualifications Diploma in Retrofit Coordination and Risk Management
Graduates will be able unlock new career paths in across both counties that contractors, local authorities and housing associations looking to upgrade social housing are recruiting for. Once in their roles, the qualified retrofitters will be tasked with making sustainable upgrades to homes across the UK, such as better installation, new doors and windows, and greener heating systems.
The nationally recognised qualifications from The Retrofit Academy join a raft of high-quality net zero courses being offered at Abingdon & Witney College that allow students to build a rewarding and fulfilling career. Aiming to address the skills shortages in several trades across the industry, courses provide students with highly sought after green qualifications, including air source heat pump training, solar thermal, photo voltaic and electric vehicle maintenance and repair.
David Pierpoint, Chief Executive at The Retrofit Academy said: “The launch of TRA Oxon and Bucks in partnership with Abingdon and Witney College further strengthens our mission to extend the capacity for delivering retrofit at scale in the South East. Learners training at our newest hub will get the best quality training courses available in the UK and graduate with the ability to support delivery of high-quality, large-scale retrofit programmes.
“Our work with training providers to create career paths for qualified retrofitters and bring graduates together with employers is important to address the practical retrofit skills gap for SHDF programmes. With 10 training partnerships established and over 5,500 learners already enrolled, we are replicating this training model in key regions across the UK to increase these numbers even further.”
Jacqui Canton, Principal and CEO of Abingdon & Witney College added: “An estimated 400,000 newly trained people are required within retrofit and our partnership with The Retrofit Academy means our college is now a part of solution to fill this skills gap. We know our students will receive the best training experience, delivered by industry experts which will equip them for a successful career in retrofit.”
For more information on training with TRA Oxon & Bucks and the retrofit courses offered, click here.
The Retrofit Academy has been awarded nearly £1m by the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero (DfESNZ) to make funded retrofit training available to over 900 individuals. More on that story here.
