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It is becoming increasingly clear that the BSE sector will have a major role to play in meeting the carbon reduction targets set by the Government. Reducing emissions, lowering energy consumption and conserving water cannot be achieved without the sector designing, installing and maintaining renewable and environmental technologies, and providing the best advice to customers.
This demand in turn highlights the significant challenge ahead for businesses in the sector to ensure they have the right skills in place to adapt and respond to new system designs and working practices.
Last year, the Government white paper The Low Carbon Transition Plan, set out how the UK will meet its target to cut emissions by 34% on 1990 levels by 2020. In his speech in July, Ed Miliband told MPs that the Government would channel approximately £3.2 billion to help households become more energy efficient. This will include introducing clean energy cash-back schemes so that people and businesses will be paid if they use low carbon sources to generate heat or electricity. In the future, some 1.2 million people could be in green jobs and 40% of electricity will come from low carbon sources including renewable, nuclear and clean coal by the end of the next decade.
Tackling climate change
For many, the recession has meant that the environmental agenda has been pushed to the bottom of the pile of priorities, but now is not the time to become complacent. Recent Government actions and announcements only reinforce how seriously it is taking the issue of tackling climate change. On top of this, spiralling fuel costs and increasing awareness of the need to conserve energy will inevitably lead to a greater demand for renewable energy sources in both commercial and domestic environments.
SummitSkills has prioritised environmental technologies training in recognition of its future importance for the sector, and this was recently acknowledged by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills during our relicensing assessment. In recent months we have developed a suite of 16 National Occupational Standard (NOS) Units for environmental technology systems that will be used to develop national qualifications, and we are seeking the support of manufacturers and certification bodies to promote the need for NOS based training.
As the Sector Skills Council for the BSE sector, it is our role to ensure fit-for-purpose, accredited and appropriate training is developed. At an early stage we identified the key issues affecting the sector and since then have been working with partners and stakeholders to develop and implement solutions.
Specifically for environmental technologies, we have put a number of measures in place so that employers in the sector have clear guidelines on how staff should be skilled in this area:
- National Occupational Standards – these are the building blocks of qualifications. They determine the core competencies that individuals should have for each occupation. SummitSkills has developed standards for environmental technologies upon which qualifications are now being based.
- Qualification development – using the National Occupational Standards as a basis, we are now working with awarding bodies, certification bodies and training providers to develop qualifications that fit those standards, both for existing workers and apprentices.
- Environmental technologies awareness short courses - to enable employers to assess the potential for developing their business and identify employee training needs.
Two major initiatives in particular over the next two years present a huge need for skilled personnel, and provide an even bigger opportunity for business profit. Feed-in tariffs, to be introduced in April 2010, will see homeowners and other proprietors paid for small-scale low carbon electricity generation. Additionally, the Renewable Heat Incentive, due in spring 2011, will provide financial assistance to generators of renewable heat. These schemes, teamed with future changes to building regulations and the zero-carbon targets for new homes, means that if your business wants to compete in this market it will need to prove it has the skilled team necessary for the job.
Potential gains
The potential commercial gains for those who are prepared are immense. Even in the current economic climate, many businesses that have up-skilled their staff to work in environmental technologies have already seen considerable growth.
It’s important to realise that all the environmental technologies in the sector are an extension of existing skill sets and job functions, they’re not separate roles. Your current workforce, providing they have the right level of competence (such as NVQ or SVQ), will simply up-skill through add-on training to add environmental technologies to their existing remit.
By considering what skills you have in your business, where you could evolve and taking steps to get prepared, you could gain a significant advantage over your competitors as more and more projects specify the need for environmental technologies. In some parts of the UK there are already insufficient businesses to meet the demand for these types of projects and clients are looking elsewhere, including overseas, to companies who already have the skills in place.
Be aware
At a domestic level, homeowners need to be made aware of how to make their home more efficient, not only by maximising their existing equipment but also by being aware of renewable energy technologies in particular and how they can play a role in meeting domestic energy demand. If your business has the skills and knowledge in this area, you can stay ahead of the game.
There’s never been a better time to move into this growing market. With skilled staff in your business, you’ll already have the right skills in place to make the move into this area.
We recognise that businesses are often faced with an array of choices when considering which courses to invest in for their workforce. Short awareness courses can initially help you to get a grip on the important factors to consider, learn more about the new technologies and make the right business decisions.
Key factors to think about when considering which training is right for you include what technologies are already being, or likely to be, specified in your region and which members of your team are best equipped to up-skill in these areas.
