NPTC Group of Colleges has always looked at the next innovation or new skills needed by the sector to meet sustainability needs of buildings and the community. It has always looked at proven deliverers, or experts in their field, to support its existing delivery and support for the sector.
Through its involvement with the Department for Business, Energy and Industry Strategy (BEIS) forum for renewable energy, which has been looking at the skills needs of the country, and how best to ensure that quality standards in installation, design, and maintenance are met, the College has been able to look to exciting partnerships, to develop training to be at the forefront of the delivery of these skills in Wales and beyond.
The College already has strong relationships with British Woodworking Federation (BWF), Supply Chain School which it chairs in Wales, and Fitout Interior Skills Federation (FIS), all with knowledge and intelligence to support the approach. Recently it became one of the consortium members of the Optimised Retrofit project, that has been substantially supported by Welsh Government, as well as looking at the skills needs of the potential City Deal Project-Homes as Power Stations.
Today, it is proud to announce that two other organisations have now joined the centre of skills excellence, to enhance and expand its training offer. These organisations are Elmhurst Energy and Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), which provides an expansive range of support and training, in decarbonisation training, retrofit, renewables and green build.
Mark Dacey, Chief Executive of NPTC Group of Colleges said: “As a College that has always prided itself in looking to the future needs and support required by the sector, this centre of excellence, will provide the skills needed to meet the sustainability and green building needs in Wales. I am excited to have such a strong and recognised group of partners to deliver and support us in delivering the quality workforce needed in Wales. We identified this element of construction training as one of the drivers of the future economy of Wales, and fits well with the Offsite Academy, with So-Modular, and our Fire Preventative Skills consortium. During these challenging times, we see these partnerships, well placed to support the aims of Wales Government, Future Generations Act and most importantly the communities and people, we support as a College.”
Amarpal Sihra Head of Commercial for Elmhurst Energy commented:
‘’We are very pleased to be working with NPTC Group of Colleges to deliver training for its students and those working within the construction field, including a number of companies. Our qualification and CPD courses are held in high regard throughout the industry, which is why hundreds of people choose to train with us each year.
As the largest independent scheme for energy assessors in the UK we pride ourselves on quality, which extends through everything we do, including our vast array of training courses. Our most popular qualification courses include: Domestic Energy Assessment (DEA) Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA), On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor (OCDEA) and Retrofit Assessor training. All courses will be delivered online or in person and led by experienced and knowledgeable trainers, with real industry experience.’’
BESA chief executive officer David Frise added:
“We are delighted to be working with the NPTC Group of Colleges and are fully supportive of its aims to broaden the scope of construction skills in Wales,”.
“Prospects for business growth across the building engineering sector are extremely promising as the UK seeks to rebuild in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, fully realising our potential depends on us attracting a more diverse workforce and equipping them with a wide range of new skills appropriate for a fast-changing marketplace.’’
“This is particularly apparent in the low carbon sector as we seek to realise the government’s net zero ambitions for 2050 and unlock the huge potential in renewable technologies. The decarbonisation of heat is a very specific task for our industry and the greater use of digital systems to modernise the way projects are designed and delivered is another urgent priority.”
“BESA is, therefore, extremely grateful for the opportunity to work closely with the NPTC Group of Colleges on these and the many other skills challenges before us.”
