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Leading construction training provider awarded funding to support home decarbonisation across the UK

A leading construction training provider has been awarded funding to deliver home decarbonisation training across the UK as part of the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Scheme (HDSTC).

Expedient Training has been named as a chosen provider to deliver training to support home decarbonisation ahead of net zero 2050.

The company, based in Jarrow is one of fifteen providers selected to deliver training courses and the only one based in the North East.

The company, which delivers qualifications, training and NVQ’s to low carbon installers across the UK has been awarded £586,000 funding to support installers operating across the various Department for Energy Security and Net Zero retrofit schemes.

The Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition (HDSTC) provides grant awards to a range of training organisations in England to increase the number of retrofit installers to help the UK Government hit its 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation targets.

Expedient Training was acquired by Simply Certification Ltd and UK National in 2023 to support the increase of qualified and competent people and organisations within the supply chain around Retrofit.

As part of the scheme, Expedient Training will deliver

  • NVQ Levels 2 and 3 in Building Treatments and Insulation,
  • Level 5 Diploma in Retrofit Coordination and Risk Assessment,
  • Level 3 Certificate for Retrofit Assessors,
  • Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency for Older and Traditional Buildings and
  • Level 2 Award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit.

Training will be delivered using a mix of online and practical training.

Expedient has already confirmed that they will be working with some of the UK’s major construction companies, which includes providing training support to Wates to upskill their employees and supply chain.

£8.85m of grant funding has been made available through the competition, facilitated by the Midlands Net Zero Hub, with an expected 8,000 courses delivered through this second phase of the competition.

Alexandra Gates, MD of Simply Certification and Expedient Training said:

“We are absolutely delighted to be named as a training provider for this vital decarbonisation fund. When we acquired Expedient Training we wanted to focus on increasing green skills across the region and beyond, supporting the UK’s net zero targets but also training the next generation of low carbon installers- and this fund is one step closer to achieving this.

The UK is on a mission to decarbonise, and this will support so many who wish to enter the industry for the first time or upskill in what is set to be a strong and solid career choice for many years to come. We are excited to get started and hope this is the start of many wins for us.”

Ben Williams Head of Zero Carbon Retrofit of Wates states:

“We have enjoyed the support of Simply Certification over this last two years to help us increase our supply chain capacity around energy efficiency retrofit. The fact that they have extended their offering further into training by acquiring Expedient Training and then gone on to be successful in this bid is great news for the industry.

The need for more competent and qualified installers and retrofit professionals is growing dramatically. The end-to-end services that Simply are now delivering through training and certification will certainly help us to achieve this.”

Training courses through Expedient Training are due to launch end of October 2023 and run until March 2023.

Register your interest today.

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Kier Places chose Simply for PAS 2030

NATIONAL HOUSING & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Kier Places is part of Kier Group and provides a full range of property management services to clients in and around homes and workplaces across the UK. Clients include local authorities, social housing providers and blue light organisations.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Kier Places engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration.

PAS 2030 is recognised energy efficiency installation standard for residential homes, ensuring that all energy efficiency measures such as insulation, heating controls and electric storage heating are compliant.

Trustmark, which can be certified at the same time, is the government-recognised quality standard of installation, giving residents peace of mind that the installation is of high-quality and is backed by quality assurances.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

The certification process required a full assessment which included Kier Places demonstrating that all installers were trained and qualified, that they had a good understanding of the PAS 2030 standard and there were procedures and processes in place to meet that standard.

In addition to the initial assessment, Kier Places will be re-assessed continually on a percentage of their installations.

TIMELINE

The timeline for certification is on average 4-6 weeks for most organisations.

From the date of the first head office inspection, Kier Places were certified within six days.

This was due a well-planned and smooth assessment programme as Kier had all the relevant documentation and competencies in place.

BENEFITS TO KIER PLACES

  • Accessing work: the Government and the larger energy providers are working towards an objective to ensure all existing properties are energy efficient by 2030.
  • Future-proofing: contracts and funding schemes around the retrofit of energy efficiency measures in buildings are starting to stipulate that installers need to work to PAS 2030 certification.
  • Commitment to sustainability: Kier Places was able to further consolidate its position as a sustainability-focused and quality installer to the residential market.
  • Quality standards: the certification ensures that all installations are carried out to the same standards by any Kier Places representative and that ultimately, the installation reduces carbon.
  • Environmental impact: the installations reduce carbon, meaning lower environmental impact and warmer residents

 

“Because Simply Certification offer both PAS 2030 certification and Trustmark registration at the same time, we were able to streamline the certification process, saving time and ultimately resource. These certifications increase our ability to bid for work and in turn they facilitate the installation of energy efficiency measures which contribute to carbon reduction across the country.

Certification proves that we have the competence and internal skills to deliver these measures and ensures that anyone who works for us in retrofit, energy efficiency or carbon reduction within our residential team will be trained to an exceptional standard.

The Team at Simply Certification were excellent. They were really responsive and helpful, ensuring that we were fully prepared, making for a smooth assessment process. The team have exceeded our expectations and because of that, we are working with them to ensure our whole supply chain is compliant.”

David Rowe, Technical Director at Kier Places

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Valley Group gain PAS 2030 and TrustMark

SCOTTISH BUILDING COMPLIANCE & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROVIDER

Valley Group are a building compliance and facilities management company headquartered in Glasgow, with 6 divisions including a specialist energy-efficiency arm dedicated to warmer homes.

As the business has grown across Scotland, there has been a need to ensure that the quality of installation standards remains high, which is why they engaged Simply Certification to gain PAS2030 certification.

SCOPE OF THE PROJECT

Valley Group engaged Simply Certification to support with their PAS2030 certification and Trustmark registration as a high percentage of their work comes through public sector housing schemes and has to be Trustmark registered.

Valley Group is dedicated to its own sustainability initiatives and is committed to training and developing its people as a way to future-proof its business. The business places huge emphasis on training and keeping people safe, which is why PAS 2030 was such an important business strategy for them.

Valley Group recognise that safe operating procedures and efficient installations reduce waste and ensure consistency of service, increasing client and end-user satisfaction and saving everyone time and money.

THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS

Valley Group had worked with Simply Certification previously, but the relationship was continued with a new contact in the business.

The certification process included a head office assessment which was focused around checking that processes and procedures were meeting the standard. This was followed by multiple technical inspections to ensure that the processes and procedures were being met in a live environment.

BENEFITS TO VALLEY GROUP

  • Business development: the certifications allow Valley Group to compete for public sector contracts.
  • Training and development: the next generation of operatives are all trained to the quality standards set out by PAS 2030 and Trustmark.
  • Recruitment and talent attraction: holding the certification ensures that Valley Group attract, train and retain people who have pride in what they do and work to a high standard.
  • Reputation: the standards that Valley Group work to ensure that clients and their end users are happy.

 

“Simply Certification really offered me peace of mind. I have over 20 accreditations and memberships to uphold and Simply got that – everything was communicated well. It’s important to me to pick up the phone and be able to achieve something, not just get passed around or having to repeat myself.

Having one point of contact at Simply really meant I could get things done and keep the business moving. This was a new standard to me and the team were supportive- they understood my business and its stakeholders.

This certification is not just about continuous improvement, it helps us secure grants, work with energy providers and build relationships that we simply couldn’t without it.”

Frazer Lowrie, HSQE Manager at Valley Group

Gain TrustMark Licence Plus with Simply

Simply Certification, providers of certification across the Lifecycle of the Built Environment are excited to announce that we now offer TrustMark Licence Plus.

Current schemes such as ECO4, LADs, HUG and SHDF require PAS 2030/35 certification and TrustMark registration; Licence Plus is designed for future schemes and the able to pay market which may not need the PAS 2035 element that PAS 2030 certification requires.

To operate within the Licence Plus scheme, Licence Plus contractors will need to be a TrustMark registered business and undergo assessments to ensure high quality installations that protect the customer.

Alex Gates, Simply Certification’s Managing Director explains;

“We’re excited to be one of the first certification bodies to offer this, as one of our key priorities is to help extend the supply chain to help meet the UK’s net-zero targets.”

“We’ve been working closely with a number of primary contractors and TrustMark on various initiatives to help drive up the numbers within the UK supply chain and are already starting to see an increase of new contractors into this sector, which is an amazing achievement.”

“Improving Energy Efficiency through quality retrofitting”

Simon Ayers, CEO, TrustMark explains,

“We are facing one of the biggest challenges around reducing energy consumption and making homes in the UK warmer, more comfortable and healthier to live in at a time when we have a cost of living crisis, coupled with a shortage of skilled trades. Improving energy efficiency through quality retrofitting is key to helping reduce this burden but it must be done by competent tradespeople working to measurable standards to ensure the result fits the need.

The demand for businesses has never been higher and will only continue to increase. This demand, coupled with the current skills shortage, means we have to look for broader solutions. We believe that the Licence Plus Scheme can be part of that solution, so it’s great to have Simply Certification on board, offering Licence Plus registration to their businesses.”

Certification across the Built Environment Lifecycle

Simply Certification who were launched in August 2020 are quickly becoming the certification body of choice for organisations who operate across the lifecycle of the built environment which includes 4 key stages:

  1. Pre Construction and Design
  2. Construction
  3. Operations, Facilities Management and Retrofit
  4. End of Use

“We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value”

Alex concludes;

“Our offering is extremely attractive to organisations who operate within any one of the stages of the Built Environment Lifecycle.

“Particularly those who are aligned with net-zero strategies. We have a strong focus on supporting organisations in their quality, environment and health and safety certifications. We have aligned our service to meet these needs which includes delivering assessments and certification for ISO and SSIP as well as TrustMark, PAS 2030, PAS 2038, Licence Plus and soon MCS.

Our unique offering is that we can coordinate assessment plans that keep disruption to a minimum and ensure great value by having a collaborative approach.

We ensure a great assessment experience that adds real value and aids ongoing business improvement with plans that are integrated where possible – a great offering for a sector that requires to demonstrate such high degrees of compliance and certification”

For more information about TrustMark and Licence Plus, contact our team today:
0191 3233960
hello@simplycertification.co.uk

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