Wiltshire College Launches £500,000 Centre to Advance Green Skills in Construction and Energy Sectors

Wiltshire College & University Centre has inaugurated a £500,000 Green Skills Innovation Centre at its Lackham campus, aimed at equipping plumbers, electricians, and construction professionals with the expertise necessary to address the challenges posed by climate change.

Supported by Wiltshire Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund and developed in partnership with Chippenham-based Good Energy, the centre features an Eco House that demonstrates state-of-the-art sustainable technologies. The facility includes specialised teaching bays, designed and installed by Quantum Training, where students learn to install and maintain renewable energy systems such as solar photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, battery storage, and smart home energy solutions.

Construction students will utilise the centre as part of their studies, while the college plans to offer short courses tailored for employers in the construction sector. These courses will focus on upskilling qualified plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, and builders to meet the increasing demand for green technology expertise.

The initiative has received endorsement from Minister for Industry Chris Macdonald, who highlighted the economic potential of the clean energy sector. He stated, “Our clean energy mission is set to create more than 15,000 jobs in the South West alone by 2030. This new facility will help to meet this demand, providing people in Wiltshire and the surrounding area with the training and skills needed to take advantage of the thousands of well-paid, good jobs being delivered by the clean energy transition.”

Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson officially opened the centre alongside Principal and Chief Executive Iain Hatt. Mr Hatt emphasised the college’s commitment to influencing the construction industry towards sustainable practices. He said, “Opening this centre is driven by our belief that we must work with and influence the construction industry and help bring about a meaningful change in mindset. We are heartened that the number of housebuilders using green technology is growing all the time and as that number rises, the demand for a better trained workforce will increase alongside it.”

He further noted the importance of retrofitting existing properties with green technologies, stating, “Building green new homes won’t meet the challenge of climate change alone, and as people become more aware of the need to conserve energy, demand for retrofitting older properties with green technology will rise. We must help the construction sector understand what is possible and inspire it to seize the initiative – as well as equip its workforce with the skills needed.”

The Eco House, a century-old former residence at Lackham, has been transformed with input from Good Energy to serve as a practical showcase for renewable technologies. Mr Hatt acknowledged the value of this collaboration: “We’re benefitting from the enormous amount of research Good Energy has undertaken into this technology. They have helped us to understand how it is installed, how it is developed and what the maintenance requirements are. Our partnership means they will be training their engineers in the centre and the Eco House, so it’s a win for all of us. We gain from their expertise as a leader in their field and they benefit from our training excellence.”

Carl Hogg, Managing Director of Services at Good Energy, expressed the company’s enthusiasm for supporting the college. He remarked, “If we want to cut carbon in millions of homes and businesses, we need a workforce with the confidence and expertise to install and maintain these solutions – and this partnership will empower engineers and installers with the training they need to help households cut carbon and take control of their energy.”

Mrs Gibson, an architect and advocate for renewable technologies, praised the centre’s role in addressing skills shortages in rural areas. She commented, “One of the things that I’m most concerned about as a rural MP is to make sure we fill that skills gap for young people, and that we’re providing them with the skills for the future that allows them strong employment with career progression. This kind of training really does push for them to have that introduction into such a career. It also puts us and the college on the map for the green transition we so desperately need.”

She added, “The Climate Change Committee has clearly said that the next part of reaching our carbon budgets is to make sure that the consumer is involved in the next stage – and that requires qualified engineers going into people’s homes and giving them good advice to make sure that they take up the technologies of the future.”

Concluding the event, Mr Hatt expressed his gratitude to all partners and staff involved in the project. “I’d like to thank all of our partners and stakeholders, particularly Wiltshire Council, Good Energy and Quantum Training, for their support in this venture and to the many staff at the college who have worked so hard to make this a reality. I’m very proud of what we have achieved,” he said.

For further information about the Green Skills Innovation Centre at Wiltshire College & University Centre, visit www.wiltshire.ac.uk.