Futureproof Skills & Certification Package

100 funded places are available to businesses to undertake retrofit training, certify in PAS2030:19 and become Trustmark registered.

The Futureproof Skills & Certification Package was launched in January 2021 and aims to increase the number of builders able to take advantage of the Government’s Green Homes Grant voucher scheme [1] that has been now extended until March 2022.

The Green Homes Grant represents an impressive £2bn worth of funding for energy-efficient retrofitting of homes in England. Homeowners can apply for vouchers between £5,000 and £10,000 per household to cover up to two-thirds of the total cost of the works and these can pay for measures like insulation or a new low carbon heating system in addition to energy-efficient windows and doors or new heating controls. So far, demand for the Green Homes Grant vouchers by homeowners has far outstripped the number of certified contractors able to undertake the works.

But in order to access Green Homes Grant voucher work, builders and contractors must be certified in PAS2030 and Trustmark registered.

The Futureproof Skills and Certification Programme is a route to achieving these requirements at significantly reduced cost whilst benefiting from specially developed retrofit training for contractors. This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to enter the expanding low-carbon retrofit market and take advantage of opportunities brought by the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme.

100 funded places for businesses are available along with an additional 200 training places for contractors from the same company. And there are a further 50 discounted training places for contractors who are currently unemployed.

The package comprises three elements:

1) Training in whole house retrofit practices
This is being delivered by The Green Register [2] and consists of ten 1-hour video training sessions. These can be accessed at any time to suit a learner’s schedule and cover the following subjects:
1. Introduction to sustainable building
2. Introduction to building physics
3. Introduction to PAS2035
4. Assessing retrofit
5. Lifecycle analysis of building materials
6. External wall insulation
7. Internal wall insulation
8. Good practice ventilation
9. Integrating building services
10. Sustainable water use in retrofit

2) Full support in achieving PAS2030:19 certification
In order to make the paperwork as simple as possible, FCA Compliance Services will offer mentoring and assistance throughout the entire verification process, including establishment of a quality management system (QMS) and preparation of all other paperwork. This invaluable support saves applicants time and effort in preparing for PAS certification.

3) PAS2030:19 certification
Certification in a single measure with Trustmark registration will be provided by the British Assessment Bureau (BAB). These are mandatory requirements for contractors to access the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme and ECO-funded works.

The Futureproof Skills & Certification program costs £1,750 per business (with training provided for up to three people from the same company). This is a saving of around £2,300 on the standard value of these services.

Training-only access is available for contractors who are currently unemployed at a reduced rate of £100 per individual (saving £199)

For further information including eligibility criteria and how to register, visit the green register website: www.greenregister.org.uk/futureproof

The Futureproof Skills & Certification Package will run between 4 January and 31 May 2021. Applications for the program will be accepted until 15 April 2021.

The program is co-managed by The Green Register and the Centre for Sustainable Energy [3] and supported by funding from the government through Midlands Energy Hub [4].

The Green Register’s Charlotte Surrey said: “The package represents a clear route for contractors becoming eligible to access Green Homes Grant work at a heavily subsidized cost. Our objective is to increase the supply of skilled tradespeople to meet existing and growing customer demand for domestic retrofit work.

“This offer will be extremely attractive to many builders and contractors. Not only is the training heavily subsidized, but there is a healthy demand out there for skilled workers who can work on low-carbon domestic retrofits.”

Contractor X who signed up for the package shortly after it launched said: “We’ve been wanting to get into the low-carbon retrofit business for some years, and this package will allow us to get the training and certification done in a way that is both cost-effective and smooths out the paperwork and hassle.”

Contacts

Charlotte Surrey, Business Development Manager & Project Manager, The Green Register charlotte@greenregister.org.uk

Ian Preston, Head of Household Energy Services, Centre for Sustainable Energy
ian.preston@cse.org.uk

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