Members of the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce met at the Installer Show last month to continue discussions on workforce resilience and the practical actions needed to support delivery of the Warm Homes Plan.
The session was co-chaired by Martin McCluskey, minister for Energy Consumers, and Kate Bell, assistant general secretary of the TUC. It brought together representatives from government, trade unions and industry. According to a statement, the session explored how the sector can build a skilled, adaptable and resilient workforce capable of supporting the UK’s home energy efficiency ambitions.
The discussion focused on several key themes including job quality and fair work standards, business diversification, workforce confidence, skills development, barriers facing SMEs, accreditation and compliance requirements. It also looked into how industry and government can work together to help businesses adapt to changing market conditions.
Furthermore, the Taskforce explored how a stronger mix of publicly funded and privately funded activity could help create a more resilient market to give businesses greater confidence to invest in skills, training and workforce development.
Alongside the meeting, the National Home Improvement Council gathered evidence directly from installers and SMEs at the Installer Show through a workforce resilience survey. The statement said the findings from both the Taskforce discussion and installer engagement activities will help inform the next phase of the Taskforce’s work.
The minister said: “This was an excellent meeting focused on building a skilled, diverse workforce to deliver high-quality installations under our Warm Homes Plan. We will support up to 180,000 new jobs by 2030, ensuring they are well paid, high quality and provide long-term resilience for the sector.”