Heating and Ventilating

SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector, has been successful in its bid for the Joint investment Programme (JIP) to implement and deliver environmental technology training.
More than 130 businesses in the sector will benefit from 50% funding of the cost of identified environmental technologies training that will take place before July 31, 2011. This will deliver upskilling to level 3 awards in solar thermal systems, heat pump systems, solar photovoltaic systems and water recycling systems.
The JIP brings together public and private investment to support skills development in areas key to economic recovery and future growth. It offers ring-fenced funding to buy the skills employers need, with the provider they choose.
The programme will support employers in the building services engineering sector to take advantage of business opportunities in environmental technologies through accredited training. Employers will be given an upfront commitment of funding to match their own investment, supporting the specific skills needs of their workforce. Existing apprentices in an appropriate job function will also be eligible as part of an additional pathway within their Advanced Apprenticeship Framework Agreement.
SummitSkills chief executive Keith Marshall said: 'Recent research published by SummitSkills found that overall engagement in environmental technologies is increasing in the sector; however, there are not enough trained operatives in the UK to cope with any sudden demand over the next two years. With the increase in interest around environmental technologies this programme will be a huge benefit to the sector.'
The JIP is a co-investment approach with a 50-50 split of public and private sector investment into skills development and training to support economic recovery and future growth in emerging industries.