Students get to grips with retrofit course

A group of students at Middlesbrough College have been getting to grips with the process of retrofitting homes as part of a series of courses organised by the North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT) in collaboration with County Durham-based construction company Esh Group.

The students, who come from a range of different backgrounds, have been working on the NEIoT Abbe Certificate for Retrofit Assessors Level 3 course.

The 10-week course covers how to assess dwellings for retrofit, identify improvement options, design and specify energy efficiency measures.

Retrofitting buildings – installing upgrades to make them more energy efficient, environmentally friendly and cost effective – is at the forefront of the UK’s mission to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

The process can cut energy bills for occupants, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lowers the carbon footprint of a building, which in turn helps address climate change.

Construction industry experts estimate that the retrofitting market could be worth between £3.5bn and £6.5bn per year over the next 25 years.

However, this surging demand for retrofitting also requires trained and skilled tradespeople to carry out the work.

This is where the NEIoT courses come in, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application with the aim of offering the gold standard of retrofit training provision.

The NEIoT Abbe Certificate for Retrofit Assessors Level 3 course is funded via the Skills Bootcamps so it is free for direct learners and employers who wish to upskill staff only have to pay a small proportion of course fees – 10% for SMEs and 30% for larger employers.

The students on the course come from a mix of backgrounds. Several work in the building industry, one works in Human Resources, one works in Sales and one worked for the NHS previously.

They are all there as they wish to know more about retrofitting for their own homes and they would also like to work in the sector.

Student Mark Uz said: “I am enjoying the programme. There is a lot of information to be learnt on the course but by the end you will get a valuable qualification and have increased employment opportunities. Importantly it also helps us to get closer to the target of Net Zero.

“I am keen to be able to know more about retrofitting my own home and to working in the sector.

“My aim is progress on with the college and study the Level 5 programme and be a Retrofit Co-ordinator.”

Further information on NEIoT retrofit courses is available here