The Accord Housing Group is working with a number of partners to address issues of carbon emission, energy consumption and job opportunities in the West Midlands region. Information is available to show that there is a serious shortage of skills and awareness relating to climate change, sustainable energy, and how these factors will influence work in the coming years.
According to government sources by 2020 the UK will require 1.2m green engineers. Increasing the supply of green engineers with the ability to install, design, assemble and manufacture is a national skills priority. Presently we have just 26,000. It is also anticipated there will be demand for low carbon products goods and services associated with the emerging ‘green economy’.
The Accord Housing Group believes that this region, with its traditional manufacturing base and flexible local workforce, is ideally placed to support this new green economy. This had led to an exciting new project called “Fit for the Future” which has three key strands to support these issues. These being:
- Energy conservation workshops for residents
- An accredited Level 2 Award in Climate Change Awareness and Residential Energy Management
- An accredited Level 3 Certificate in Retrofit Skills for trade operatives
There are opportunities for residents, should they wish, to progress onto the L2 Award in Award in Climate Change Awareness and Residential Energy Management, and ultimately be chosen as either a Climate Change Champion for the Accord Group or a work placement with the Mears Group.
- Residents Energy Conservation Workshops
- Residents Level 2 Award in Climate Change Awareness and Residential Energy Management
- Residents Climate Change Champions (Accord Group)
- Residents Work Placements (Mears Group)
