Heat pump training grants to address skills gap 

The government is offering training grants to help heating engineers become fully qualified heat pump installers.  

As part of the £5 million Heat Training Grant, heating engineers can claim £500 discounts towards their training, which usually costs around £600 to complete.   

More than 60 approved training centres across England will provide more than 6,000 heating engineers with the skills needed to qualify as a heat pump engineer.  

To receive the discount, applicants have to sign up for the training through their chosen provider and confirm they are eligible for the grant.  

Commenting on the announcement, Charlotte Lee, CEO of the Heat Pump Association (HPA), said: “We welcome the launch of the Heat Training Grant and are pleased to see training providers across the country, including HPA members, being included in the first funding round. Creating a large, highly skilled heat pump installer base is essential for expanding heat pump rollout in the UK.    

“Heat pumps are a key aspect of decarbonising home heating and are central to achieving the government’s net zero targets. We encourage heating engineers to make use of the Heat Training Grant to undertake subsidised training and expand their skill set and future proof their business in readiness for the exponential growth required to meet the government’s target of installing 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028.” 

As well as the grant, some heating manufacturers are expected to offer additional discounts and offers to participating trainees. These benefits could be worth up to a further £500 in product vouchers, additional training and other support. 

The government is also calling on training providers across England to help support the pipeline of new heat network engineers by offering courses to upskill and teach them how to install and maintain heat pumps.  

In addition to the funding for trainees, training providers can also bid for £500 discounts to train up to 4,000 new heat network installers. The funding will be provided through the government’s Heat Training Grant Competition. 

Interested providers can apply through the Heat Training Grant Competition here, before 8 August.   

Eligible heating engineers can find further information about the Heat Training Grant here.