Training partnership set to unlock retrofit career opportunities in Hampshire

Training partnership set to unlock retrofit career opportunities in Hampshire

A training partnership has been established in Hampshire to meet the growing demand for retrofitters, grow career opportunities for residents, and upskill contractor workforces in the region.

As Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) and Homes Upgrade Grant (HUG) funding increases the number of retrofit vacancies, The Retrofit Academy (TRA) and workforce solutions and training specialist, SERT Training have established an exclusive partnership to launch The Retrofit Academy Hampshire.

From SERT Training’s three training centres in Southampton, Whiteley and Gosport, learners now have access to the best quality training courses created and licensed by the UK’s leading driving force in retrofit skills and knowledge, The Retrofit Academy.

Providing residents across Hampshire with the means to take up the growing number of retrofit job roles, the sector-specific qualifications range from levels 2-5 and include:

Graduates will be able unlock new career paths in Hampshire that contractors, local authorities and housing associations looking to upgrade social housing in the county are recruiting for. Once in their roles, the newly qualified retrofitters will be tasked with making sustainable upgrades to homes and businesses in 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 SERT training courses in electric, gas, metering, and renewables qualifications. Aiming to address the skills shortage in a number of trades across the industry, courses provide learners with highly sought after green qualifications, including air source heat pump training and electric vehicle charging installation.

Mark Edwards, CEO of SERT Training, said: "We are thrilled to announce our exclusive partnership with Retrofit Academy to deliver their qualifications across Hampshire and The Isle of Wight. This milestone signifies our commitment to providing individuals with the skills needed to drive their own retrofit plans forward.

“With our range of domestic clean heating and power courses, these qualifications will complement our offerings perfectly. We are grateful for the support we have received from The Retrofit Academy, and we are excited to welcome the first cohorts of learners onboard early November. Both our organisations share the same high standards in learner experience and content quality, so alignment has been very straightforward and a lot of fun."

David Pierpoint, Chief Executive at The Retrofit Academy added: “The launch of TRA Hampshire in partnership with SERT Training further strengthens our mission to extend the capacity for delivering retrofit at scale in the South East. Learners who train at The Retrofit Academy Hampshire will get the best quality training courses available in the UK and graduate in a strong position to support with 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 address the practical retrofit skills gap for SHDF programmes. With 10 training partnerships established and over 5,500 learners involved, we are keen to replicate this model in key regions across the UK to increase numbers even further.”