THE NEW Green Skills Centre at Northampton College is ready to join the front line in the work to tackle the serious shortage of construction workers in UK with renewable energies expertise.
Employers from across the region attended the centre’s official opening and had their first look at its cutting-edge rigs and bays for air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar PV, solar thermal, wind generation, electrification of vehicles and EV charging.
The centre will provide up to 250 students with access to the latest green technologies each year. Its courses will also reskill adults who want to move into the construction industry and upskill existing professionals in the sector.
Northampton North MP Lucy Rigby carried out the official opening with college principal Jason Lancaster.
The MP, elected to Parliament at the General Election in July, said: “Northampton College is already a beacon of excellence, with an incredibly strong reputation not just locally but nationally when it comes to provision and achievement, support for students and the personal development of its students too.
“The addition of this new Green Skills Centre adds to the college’s offering in a way that is going to be of huge benefit to everyone who is able to take up opportunities here but also to all of us because of the kind of skills which the centre will teach and the positive effect this will have on our economy and the environment.
“Allowing people the opportunity to gain green construction skills and training in the very latest renewable technologies is exactly where we need to be as a country, tackling both the skills shortage and the climate crisis and providing businesses with what they need.
“We need more places like this around the country and I could not be prouder that Northampton has this leading facility.”
Education has a key role to play in tackling climate change, Northampton College principal Jason Lancaster told guests at the ceremony. “In this incredible new centre our students will receive training on top-of-the-range low-carbon technologies to prepare them for the green jobs which desperately need to be filled across the country.
“The green skills they will learn here are crucial to both our economy and to our nation’s efforts to tackle climate change. We are proud to have developed this centre and its offering with leading local and national experts in the field. It is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when educational organisations and employers work together.”
The Green Skills Centre has been designed by decarbonisation specialist and renewable training provider Quantum. Its business development specialist Jade Husson said: “This centre truly is a flagship for this region.
“We are immensely proud of the partnership that we have developed with Northampton College and look forward to continue supporting it as best we can to drive forward the education surrounding green skills.”
Martin Passingham, head of product marketing at Daikin UK, which provided the centre’s air source heat pumps, added: “What strikes me about this centre is how fresh and modern it is. It has great bays to work in and a nice open space which together create a brilliant learning environment.
“I wish there were more places like this centre across the country. I really hope more colleges will follow Northampton College’s example.”
Northampton-based Castle Climate Control is among the organisations that will host master classes at the centre. The company’s co-founder Carley Fountain said: “It is exciting that we have something in Northampton that is hopefully going to create a new workforce of professionals with green skills.
“We have always felt that the team at Northampton College is very forward-thinking and we hope that other colleges and educational centres take note of what is happening here and follow their lead.”
Guests included Claire Butcher, head of The National Energy Efficiency Centre being set up by The Installation Assurance Authority based in Leighton Buzzard. “This centre is so needed,” she said. “We are looking to create something similar ourselves with the development of The National Energy Efficiency Centre in Leighton Buzzard so it has been great to come here today and see this centre in action.”
Before the Green Skills Centre’s opening, more than 20 representatives from organisations operating in the green skills arena attended an Employer Forum organised by Northampton College.
During the event they discussed a wide range of topics, including licence to practice courses, the viability of skills boot camps and what businesses need from future employees. Attendees were also asked to identify the top five transferable skills that they would like to see students being taught.
………………………………….
Stay connected with Northamptonshire business through Business Times. Join our exclusive community for the latest news, insights, updates, features and thought leadership.
Stay informed – subscribe now at bit.ly/437DsSm. Unsubscribe at any time.
