A new £500,000 Green Skills Innovation Centre has opened at Wiltshire College & University Centre’s Lackham campus to help train the next generation of engineers and construction workers in sustainable technologies.
The facility will give plumbers, electricians and construction companies the skills needed to install and maintain renewable energy systems as demand grows.
The centre was funded with support from Wiltshire Council’s Shared Prosperity Fund and developed in partnership with Chippenham-based energy company Good Energy.
Inside the facility are specialist training bays designed to teach the installation and maintenance of technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps, battery storage and smart home energy systems.
The bays were designed and installed by Quantum Training.
Construction students at the college will use the centre as part of their studies, while short courses will also be offered to employers in the construction sector looking to upskill qualified engineers and tradespeople.
Government Minister for Industry Chris Macdonald said the facility would help meet growing demand for green jobs.
He said: “Our clean energy mission is set to create more than 15,000 jobs in the South West alone by 2030.
“This new facility will help meet that demand, providing people in Wiltshire and the surrounding area with the training and skills needed to take advantage of those opportunities.”
The centre was officially opened by Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson, who cut the ribbon alongside the college’s Principal and Chief Executive Iain Hatt.
Mr Hatt said the college hopes the new centre will help encourage the construction industry to adopt more sustainable technologies.
He said: “We must work with and influence the construction industry and help bring about a meaningful change in mindset.
“As more housebuilders use green technology, demand for a better trained workforce will increase.”
As part of the project, the college has also converted a 100-year-old house on the Lackham campus into an Eco House demonstrating renewable technologies.
The project was developed with support from Good Energy, which will also use the facility to train its engineers.
Carl Hogg, Managing Director of Services at Good Energy, said: “If we want to cut carbon in millions of homes and businesses, we need a workforce with the confidence and expertise to install and maintain these solutions.”
Mrs Gibson said the centre would help address skills shortages while supporting the transition to greener energy.
“One of the things I’m most concerned about as a rural MP is making sure we fill that skills gap for young people and provide them with skills for the future,” she said.
More information about the Green Skills Innovation Centre is available at wiltshire.ac.uk.
Want to know what’s on in Calne? Visit our local events page for listings and to find out how to add your own events for free. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news. Have you got a story for us? Email editor@calnenews.com or contact us here.
