The National Skills Academy For Environmental Technologies, the official event partner for this year’s InstallerLive (NEC, Birmingham, 16-19 October), will provide a platform for the renewables supply chain to meet and find out about renewable technologies, develop new skills, appreciate the training requirements and understand the new regulatory landscape we will be operating within.
David Pierpoint, event director.
The introduction of the government’s Green Deal in Autumn 2012 is set to revolutionise the heating industry. Complementing other government incentive schemes such as Feed -in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive, the Green Deal has the potential to dramatically boost the growth in renewable and low carbon heating technologies.
To successfully meet this demand it will be important for installers and contractors to make sure that they are fully skilled up to fit the new breed of eco heating technologies – solar PV, solar thermal, biomass, air source and ground source heat pumps and micro-CHP.
In partnership with the National Skills Academy For Environmental Technologies, the official event partner for this year’s InstallerLive (NEC, Birmingham, 16-19 October) is far more than a trade exhibition. It is, importantly, a fresh, innovative and dynamic learning environment which will provide a platform for the renewables supply chain to meet and find out about renewable technologies, develop new skills, appreciate the training requirements and understand the new regulatory landscape we will be operating within.
“It is important that installers are prepared for future changes – legislation to be implemented in 2012 will emphasise the requirements of individual competence in both MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), Competent Persons Schemes and the Green Deal,” says Dr Cathryn Hickey, executive director of SummitSkills and interim director of the Skills Academy. “The Skills Academy network of 14 hubs (with over 80 providers) across England, only provides training and assessment that is mapped to industry standards to meet these future changes. Academy training enables installers to be ready and ahead of the game, without requiring any additional upskilling at a later date.”
Both hard and soft training options will be available at the show in an extensive programme of more than 70 FREE sessions focused around four key education areas – The Green Deal Station, The Heating and Cooling Skills Station in association with Corgi Services, The Plumb and Electro Skills Station in association with EAL and The Eco Challenge.
Alongside content from the Skills Academy, other training providers and industry associations are taking part in the show. They include NAPIT (the National Association of Professional Inspectors and Testers), the Micropower Council who are responsible for MCS Certification, EAL, the Energy Savings Trust, the HVCA (Heating & Ventilating Contractors Association), the NICEIC, the Solar Trade Association, City and Guilds, the Underfloor Heating Manufacturers Association, the CIPHE (Chartered Institute of Plumbing & Heating Engineers), the APHE (Association of Plumbing & Heating Engineers), HETAS, the National Federation of Roofing Contractors (NFRC) and the Rainwater Harvesting Association.
The National Skills Academy For Environmental Technologies is also sponsoring ‘The Eco Challenge’. A new feature allowing visitors to test their skills against others in an exciting, timed competition focused on installing renewable technologies. The aim of the Eco Challenge is to raise awareness of the skills that will be required to fit renewable technologies in the light of current and future Government initiatives, such as the Green Deal, Feed in Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive. Winners on each day will receive £100, £200 and £300 training vouchers to be used for environmental technology training through The National Skills Academy. The Eco Challenge is not only a place to test your skills but you can listen to those who’ve made it big on the back of renewables with the MCS Installer’s Stories. Plus, meet the experts and training providers in The National Skills Academy Lounge, to get one-to-one advice on the best training routes.
InstallerLive will be a key platform for sharing knowledge and delivering on the requirements of the sector as never before. It will help to equip installers with qualifications, accreditation and information they need from providers they can trust. A full exhibitor list and details on the InstallerLive training programme is available from www.installerlive.com, where visitors can also register for free.
