Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) has officially launched its new Green Skills Centre, aiming to address sustainability challenges in the construction industry and support the decarbonisation of the built environment.
Based at the College’s Stephen Burke Construction Academy in partnership with St. Modwen Homes, the Green Skills Centre includes equipment for solar installations (including photovoltaic systems), solar thermal installations, air source heat pumps and EV charging installations, and will focus on providing specialised training on renewable energy and retrofit technologies.
The Centre, partly funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) to support the drive for green skills development, was opened officially by Samantha Niblett MP during a launch event, which was also an opportunity for representatives from the construction industry to gather, tour the facilities and find out more about the training on offer.
In addition to the Centre’s official unveiling, the event also featured the announcement of a partnership between BSDC and Checkatrade, the UK’s leading home improvement platform which connects vetted tradespeople with consumers for their quality upgrades, fixes and retrofits. The collaboration will explore promoting sustainable practices and upskilling local trades to adopt greener technologies in the Midlands. Checkatrade recently launched its Trade Skills Index alongside the Skills Minister, which identified the huge number of additional tradespeople and apprentices needed to achieve national housebuilding and decarbonisation goals.
Checkatrade General Manager, George Yeoman, who gave a speech at the opening, said: “Keeping homes and places of work running is a huge carbon emitter. By connecting millions of consumers with over 100,000 tradespeople, we believe Checkatrade is well-placed to help tackle decarbonisation at scale. We’re excited to be part of this fantastic new initiative – the Green Skills Centre will better equip tradespeople with the skills needed to help consumers be prouder of their homes and do their bit to deliver on the net zero agenda.”
The Centre’s mission is to help businesses address sustainability challenges by providing hands-on experience and training in renewable energy and green technologies. As part of its broader vision to advance green skills education, the College has also developed an innovative higher education module, ‘Alternative Sustainable Solutions in Construction,’ which has been nationally recognised and incorporated into the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) in Modern Methods of Construction course.
John Beaty, Principal and Chief Executive at BSDC said: “Our mission at BSDC is to provide all of our learners with the skills they need both now and in the future. This investment will ensure that our construction learners develop key skills in technologies that will help decarbonise the regional economy, providing local communities with a greener future. This outstanding new facility helps us take a crucial step in addressing the evolving needs of the renewable energy and construction industries. We look forward to working alongside our partners, industry leaders and local employers to ensure that we are leading the way in sustainable skills development locally.”
