The future of retrofit: what is being done to meet growing demand? With demand for qualified retrofitters continuing to boom, Jenny Pierpoint, Chief Operating Officer at The Retrofit Academy, explains how local authorities and social housing providers can address their skills gaps.
As more social housing providers and local authorities look to make efficiency upgrades to properties through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Home Upgrade Grant (HUG), the demand for retrofitters is rising. With more and more homes having the potential to receive sustainable upgrades, it is imperative that knowledge and skills provisions are accessible to both businesses and individuals. The retrofit revolution is here, but what does that mean for those involved?
Addressing the skills gap
Those looking to take on the challenge need to understand what the retrofit roles are and where their skills gaps lie. Retrofit advisors, assessors, and coordinators are all vital in ensuring a project is completed to the highest of standards as well as on time. A successful, high quality retrofit department or business relies on these roles, and teams being trained for leading qualifications.
When building a retrofit team within a business, it is important to know how many people you need to undertake the expected number of projects. Whether 10 homes or 10,000, understanding the workforce required will ensure that targets and deadlines can be met. Tools such as The Retrofit Academy’s Workforce modelling system can make this more transparent.
Businesses looking to get into the retrofit space may find that they already have individuals on their team capable of learning new skills to undertake a retrofit role. The retrofit academy’s Training Needs analysis Tool can help employers identify suitable candidates and create a tailor-made programme to train employees and satisfy the skill demand.
With a clear idea of the workforce requirement and training needs, decision makers may also need to make external hires. Dedicated retrofit employment platforms, such as The Retrofit Academy’s careers hub, allows employers to connect qualified professionals in the industry.
Learning retrofit
Accessing high-quality education is the next step in closing the skills gap. By partnering with a training provider and developing a positive working relationship, quality education goes beyond simply offering courses. Furthermore, by addressing the skills gaps together, the training models used can be adapted as the business continues to grow.
The Retrofit Academy has led the charge for retrofit education since it opened its doors in 2016, paving the way for individuals to enter this space. Our accredited courses such as the level 2 in Understanding Domestic retrofit all the way up to the level 5 in retrofit coordination and risk management Diploma allow individuals to learn the full breath of the retrofitting industry. As we look to close the skills gap, these courses allow individuals and businesses to better understand retrofit and deliver programmes to a high quality and at scale.
Our newly launched retrofit 101 course has been tailor-made to give an initial introduction to retrofit, allowing participants to understand the fundamental basics of the industry. This is perfect for those exploring new career opportunities, looking to enhance their skills set, and even senior decision makers wanting to understand the new branch of their organisation.
Through our courses, we have trained 4,000 professional retrofitters and onboarded over 7,000 learners. As the driving force in retrofit knowledge and skills, The Retrofit Academy is on a journey with local authorities, social housing providers and contractors to address the retrofit skills gap and help the UK achieve net zero.
For more information about The Retrofit Academy, please click here.
