Thank you to everyone who joined the Retrofit Growth Skills Summit held on Monday 8 July at Leeds City College Printworks campus and especially all the expert speakers for their thought-provoking and insightful presentations.  Thanks also to our funders the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub and our sponsor Lovell Partnerships

View and / or download the presentations here

View and / or download the event brochure with full details of the agenda and speakers here 

Key takeaways 

1. Greater collaboration between a range of stakeholders is required on a local basis to enable greater retrofit skills provision.  The construction sector needs to advise both the training providers and policy bodies to ensure the provision they require is available.
2. The construction sector needs the confidence of consistent and continuous funding to be able to invest in training.
3. Industry needs to engage with young people more and better.  To promote the varied jobs in construction, the sector needs to inform careers advisors, schools, young people and their parents.
4. Skills funding needs simplification.

New Retrofit Skills Forums in Yorkshire

As a result of the summit, EN:Able Communities will enable and drive greater collaboration opportunities in Yorkshire.  

Efficiency North’s charitable arm will support and drive the development of Retrofit Skills Forums in Yorkshire initially focussing on driving the development of West and South Yorkshire Retrofit Skills Advisory Panels.

The Forums will be aligned to the national network of Green Construction Advisory Panels (GCAP), initiated by Exeter College.   This co-development will be undertaken in partnership with a range of key stakeholders: 

• the construction sector
• training providers (both FE colleges and Independent Training providers)
• social housing providers
• governmental bodies that provide policy and funding 
• relevant retrofit sector bodies.

The Forums will be action and outcome based and seek to enable greater industry required skills provision in both West and South Yorkshire.

The Forums will be launched in autumn 2024.

For further information about the Green Construction Advisory Panel network, please visit the website.

Get involved in the Retrofit Skills Forums 

The Forums’ success will depend on the participation of key stakeholders at a level of their choice - either to be closely involved and attend Forums or to be kept informed about activities and forthcoming events. 

Attendees at the summit were invited to pledge their level of involvement.

1. Gold pledge: Become actively involved in steering skills development in the region
2. Silver pledge: Share Retrofit training needs demand for their organisation
3. Bronze pledge:  Maintain engagement on regional retrofit upskilling.

To make a pledge to indicate your desired level of involvement, please complete this form:   https://forms.office.com/e/veW32WtX3A

All data provided will be treated confidentially. Any information you supply will only be used for this purpose. 

View photos of the summit on the EN Facebook page