Largest UK Provider for Green Skills Unveiled, Focusing on Home Retrofitting Projects
Reed Environment Launches to Address UK's Net-Zero Skills Shortage
Reed in Partnership, a leading UK organisation, has launched Reed Environment, the country's largest green skills provider. This new initiative aims to help address the UK's net-zero skills shortage in retrofitting, a crucial area where the country's ageing housing stock poses a significant green skills gap.
James Reed CBE, chairman of Reed in Partnership, has highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that the UK is in a race to reach net-zero by 2050. The failure to meet this target could jeopardise the UK's progress towards its climate goals.
To tackle this challenge, Reed Environment has invested in the Oxford Energy Academy, a highly-rated OFSTED training provider, to offer two retrofit assessment courses. These courses form the foundation for undertaking a retrofit project. The initiative aims to add over 1000 new retrofitters to the market each year when at full capacity.
Reed Environment's goal is to assist in making millions of homes energy efficient to reach the net-zero target by 2050. This is a 94% increase on current retrofit recruitment levels in the UK, as recruitment in this sector must triple to reach the net-zero target.
Meeting the net-zero target quickly is seen as a huge economic opportunity to create highly skilled jobs. Reed Environment's launch is a response to this need for a new workforce. The organisation will offer training for the Domestic Energy Assessor and Retrofit Assessor courses.
The retrofitting of houses, which are responsible for 20% of England's carbon emissions, is a key area where these new skills will be put to use. The success of Reed Environment's training and recruitment efforts will be crucial in determining whether the UK achieves its target number of energy efficient installations by 2050, or if the deadline will be pushed back to 2105, as some predict.
Reed Environment's initiatives are aimed at urgent action to meet the UK's net-zero targets. The organisation's work with the Oxford Energy Academy is a significant step towards addressing the UK's net-zero skills shortage and helping the country reach its climate goals.
