CSIC training course to provide construction ‘green skills’

A new training programme launched by the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) aims to equip construction workers with skills to retrofit buildings with sustainability in mind. As part of the CSIC’s Low Carbon Learning programme, the skills, known as “green skills”, will allow workers to construct low-energy buildings. The training aims to upskill and reskill more than 700 construction workers. 

Starting as a webinar on 30 September the training will feature from the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, as well as the Passivhaus Trust, Renfrewshire Council, and John Gilbert Architects, and is supported by the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council through the National Transition Training Fund. It builds on the CSIC’s Passivhaus in Practice programme, which the organisation launched earlier this year.

Conventionalising energy efficiency 

CSIC’s Future Skills Manager, Caitriona Jordan, said: “Our Passivhaus in Practice programme was highly successful in helping construction workers develop their knowledge and expertise of the gold standard for energy-efficient homes, and this second phase will build on that by bringing in more people and providing the opportunity for participants to learn about EnerPHit as well.

“More people in the sector with knowledge of, and the skills necessary to deliver these types of buildings will help energy efficiency become more mainstream. It will also help ensure we have a workforce fit for the future and could help create new jobs in the construction supply chain while addressing societal issues such as fuel poverty,” she said. 

Following the webinar session, face-to-face training will take place at CSIC’s Innovation Factory near Hamilton and will be offered to 200 construction workers of which half will become certified practitioners once the programme is completed. 

A further 500 attendees will receive online training as part of the programme with retrofit and EnerPHit standard. 200 out of the original 500 will then be trained in-person to gain their accreditation. The programme is aimed at construction workers who may be out of work or are facing redundancy and will support them with these new green skills which will give them the best chance of returning to the industry.