Mayor hails launch of retrofit training scheme

South & City College Birmingham says two purpose-built training houses will equip students with extra skills to retrofit older homes, part of plans to upgrade up to 300,000 homes across the region.

Funded by the West Midlands and Warwickshire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), with support from the West Midlands Combined Authority, the new facilities were launched by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker this week.

One of the properties has been designed to replicate a typical 1930s home, giving students hands-on experience of the types of retrofit challenges commonly found in older housing stock.

The second property showcases modern energy-efficient construction and smart home technologies, including the latest heat pumps and electric vehicle charging.

The college expects the facilities to support up to 250 learners and industry professionals each year, contributing to what college principle Mike Hopkins says is the region’s growing demand for green construction skills.

“Our retrofit training houses provide a unique ‘real world’ environment reflecting the realities of working within existing homes. It enables students and companies to experience the real requirements faced during retrofit projects,” he said.

“In a traditional workshop, learners often practise individual tasks on demonstration rigs or walls, but retrofit projects require multiple trades to work together within the constraints of a real property and working with the traditional build and materials that are present in properties locally.

“Ultimately, this will help ensure the region has the skilled workforce needed to improve housing energy efficiency and support the West Midlands’ transition to a low-carbon future.”

The college says the facilities will support experienced tradespeople to learn new skills in sectors such as low-carbon heating, heat networks and energy efficiency – helping them quickly transition into roles that support the region’s net-zero ambitions.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Right now, we’re building more homes than ever across the region, and at the same time rolling out our biggest programme yet to upgrade older, colder homes to modern efficiency standards. These are huge opportunities, but we need skilled people to make it happen.

“That’s why we’re investing in facilities like these at South & City College. It was brilliant to see how they’re helping experienced tradespeople learn vital new skills to boost their income in a fast-growing part of our economy, and also setting young people on the path to what I know will be a rewarding, long-term career in construction for them.”