As the Government correctly stated in July 2021, every job in the country has the potential to be green, with the government, businesses, and the education sector all working together to support the government’s ambition to create two million skilled green jobs by 2030.
London has its own part to play in this national ambition, with Mayor Sadiq Khan striving to double the size of the city’s green economy by 2030 to accelerate job creation for all workers and abilities. Therefore, in looking to play our own unique and crucial role in the London Recovery Programme, United Colleges Group has begun actively pursuing a demand-led Green Skills agenda, set together with a series of key initiatives and projects.
To kick things off United Colleges Group has partnered with Brent Council to secure funding to develop our own bespoke Green Skills Centre of Excellence. Through this, we have developed strategic aims that focus on exploring a net-zero target, improving the energy efficiency and carbon footprint of existing homes through measures such as the installation of clean or cleaner technologies, whilst also exploring avenues to deliver courses that achieve passive homes and Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
But this is just the start. If we are to be serious about green skills, we need to be serious about why we are here in the first place. In this instance, the United Colleges Group recognises the impact of climate change will require significant changes to our ways of working — and consequently, significant changes to our training.
Therefore, we have developed courses that provide a range of transferable skills across the emerging green economy, allowing students to move from a retrofit industry into modular and volumetric construction (Modern Methods of Construction) with relative ease. Together we will provide students with opportunities to explore a range of vocational skills across construction and building services, participating in a qualification based on the Fundamental Principles, and Requirements of Environmental Technology Systems. With our enhanced environmental technology workshop, students will work with leading trainers to make informed decisions on available Green Sector jobs, choosing the next step of their career.
Beginning in September 2022, the College will offer a wide variety of green courses in areas such as rainwater/​grey water harvesting, air and ground source heat pump installation, solar thermal and photovoltaic installation, electrical vehicle charging and maintenance, wall insulation, and infrared low carbon heating — created in partnership with the UK’s first training provider of this technology, Energy Carbon.
These unique courses will help emerging talent learn the right skills to make a major impact on the issues which already are beginning to impact our daily lives. Training today’s workforce for the challenges of tomorrow is something we’re proud of, meeting the challenges of decarbonising our economy and adapting to climate change.
Our package of practical measures, combined with our United Colleges Group Green Skills Strategy, means we’re a pivotal player in combating the twin dangers of air pollution and climate change. Our Executive team has developed a multi-point vision that pulls together the skills and expertise that we’ve built as a community and points the way to a greener and cleaner future.