Retrofitting approximately 30 million homes across the UK to bring them closer to net zero targets is estimated to require the creation of more than 10,000 new jobs in retrofit coordination, advice and assessment roles by 2025.
Businesses across the construction sector are already reporting difficulties in finding people with the right skills and aptitude for these roles. However, at the same time there are around one million young people in the UK not currently in employment, education or training.
Generation – a global non-profit organisation founded by McKinsey & Company – is committed to addressing these challenges with the launch of a new green jobs training programme in 2021.
To date, Generation has trained over 40,000 graduates across 29 professions and 14 countries, of whom more than 86% were placed into work within three months of completing a programme. Employers report that more than 80% of these graduates outperform their peers on the job.
Generation are looking to achieve similar success with a new ‘green jobs’ programme delivered in partnership with the Retrofit Academy, which will involve approximately 400 hours in a full-time bootcamp where individuals will train for entry level retrofit roles.
The programme, which is due to initially launch in England in Q4 2021, seeks to place learners into role as ‘junior retrofit coordinators and in so doing:
- Provide employers that work on renewable energy and retrofit projects with a reliable source of diverse and highly motivated, entry-level talent equipped with the specific skills, mindsets and behaviours needed to succeed from day one; and
- Provide life-changing opportunities for individuals who face barriers to employment, specifically for unemployed young people aged between 18 and 29 (targeting >50% female, >80% ethnic minority) ; and
Once placed, junior retrofit coordinators will be able to support their employer by:
- Acting as a first point of contact for customers undergoing retrofit processes/procedures, to answer queries and troubleshoot issues.
- Supporting retrofit coordinators, assessors and advisers with the overall retrofit process including managing contractors, booking assessments, triaging, and submitting grant applications.
- Progressing their studies and achieving further qualifications in order to take on increased responsibility for retrofit projects.
Generation is looking for employers to help shape the programme and to sign-up to interview programme participants on completion.
To register your interest as a potential employer for this programme, or other upcoming programmes for solar and heat pump installation roles, please fill out this short two-minute survey.
