New training centre set to boost green skills in construction

Basingstoke College of Technology’s (BCoT) has a newly completed training centre that will allow students and local businesses to become equipped with knowledge and skills in renewable technologies such as air source heat pumps, solar thermal, photovoltaic systems and rainwater reuse.

The Green Energy Centre was supported with a £150,000 investment from the Department for Education as part of the Strategic Development Fund (SDF) and includes equipment to demonstrate and teach how to install and maintain green technologies.  

Initially, students on the College’s Level 2 Construction Multi-skills qualification and construction part-time courses will have access to the centre. The facility will then be opened to other students across BCoT to increase awareness of climate change and the impact on the built environment. 

Local employers will also be able to book space at the centre to upskill their teams. 

BCoT’s head of construction, Steve Gilder, said: “The ambition to reach net zero and to be more sustainable means the construction industry is an ever-changing landscape, with new technologies being regularly introduced.

"It is therefore imperative that we equip our students with the skills, information and confidence to meet the demands of the industry.

“The new Green Energy Centre will provide an informative introduction to all things ‘green’, retrofit and net zero within the construction sector and allow our students to work within a state-of-the-art environment in which they can learn and develop their skills.

"We also look forward to welcoming local employers to the centre who want to train their staff in the skills necessary to meet net zero targets.”

Anthony Bravo, principal and chief executive of BCoT, said: “BCoT has a longstanding reputation for offering excellent educational opportunities and we are proud to now be able to offer students and regional employers the opportunity to study in such a unique facility. 

“We are grateful to receive government support for the centre, which is a testament to the education provision available at BCoT.

"This is a significant step forward for the education and training provision in Basingstoke, which will help the construction industry meet net zero targets.”