New £500,000 Green Skills Centre at Northampton College is a regional flagship
Posted 11th October 2024Northampton College has officially unveiled its new £500,000 renewable energies education and training facility which will tackle the UK’s acute shortage of construction workers with up-to-date ‘green skills’.
Dozens of employers from across the region attended the launch of the new Green Skills Centre at Booth Lane on Friday to get the first glimpse of its cutting-edge rigs and bays for air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar PV, solar thermal, wind generation, electrification of vehicles and EV charging.
The centre will provide up to 250 students with access to the latest green technologies each year, reskill adults who want to move into the construction industry and upskill existing professionals in the sector.
It was officially opened by Northampton College Principal Jason Lancaster and Northampton North MP Lucy Rigby.
The area’s new MP said: “Northampton College is already a beacon of excellence, with an incredibly strong reputation not just locally but nationally when it comes to provision and achievement, support for students and the personal development of its students too.
“The addition of this new Green Skills Centre adds to the College’s offering in a way that is going to be of huge benefit to everyone who is able to take up opportunities here but also to all of us because of the kind of skills which the centre will teach and the positive effect this will have on our economy and the environment.
“Allowing people the opportunity to gain green construction skills and training in the very latest renewable technologies is exactly where we need to be as a country – tackling both the skills shortage and the climate crisis and providing businesses with what they need.
“We need more places like this around the country and I couldn’t be prouder that Northampton has this leading facility.”
Principal Jason Lancaster said: “In this incredible new centre our students will receive training on top-of-the-range low carbon technologies to prepare them for the green jobs which desperately need to be filled across the country.
“The green skills they will learn here are crucial to both our economy and to our nation’s efforts to tackle climate change.
“We’re proud to have developed this centre and its offering with leading local and national experts in the field – it’s a fantastic example of what can be achieved when educational organisations and employers work together.”
Among those who attended the launch were representatives from leading decarbonisation specialist and renewable training provider Quantum, which designed the centre.
Quantum’s Jade Husson said: “This centre truly is a flagship for this region and we’re so proud to have designed it, installed its technologies and to have provided training to Northampton College staff.
“We’re thrilled that Level 2 students here will also be taught the Sustainable Energy and Renewable Technologies short course which we’ve devised in partnership with industry and curriculum developers with the backing of NOCN.
“We’re immensely proud of the partnership that we’ve developed with Northampton College and look forward to continue supporting it as best we can to drive forward the education surrounding green skills.”
Other attendees included Martin Passingham, of Daikin UK Ltd, which provided the centre’s air source heat pumps.
NorthHe said: “What strikes me about this centre is how fresh and modern it is. It has great bays to work in and a nice open space which together create a brilliant learning environment.
“I wish there were more places like this centre across the country. I really hope more colleges will follow Northampton College’s example.”
Further praise for the centre came from Carley Fountain, of Northampton-based Castle Climate Control, which is one of the organisations that will be offering master classes at the venue.
Carley said: “It’s exciting that we have something in Northampton that is hopefully going to create a new workforce of professionals with green skills.
“We’ve always felt that the team at Northampton College is very forward-thinking and we hope that other colleges and educational centres take note of what is happening here and follow their lead.”
Visitors from further afield included Claire Butcher of The Installation Assurance Authority based in Leighton Buzzard, who said: “This centre is so needed and it’s fantastic to see how it has been set up.
“We’re looking to create something similar ourselves with the development of The National Energy Efficiency Centre in Leighton Buzzard so it’s been great to come here today and see this centre in action.”
Before the Green Skills Centre’s opening, more than 20 representatives from organisations operating in the green skills arena attended an Employer Forum organised by Northampton College.
During the event they discussed a wide range of topics, including licence to practice courses, the viability of skills boot camps and what businesses need from future employees. Attendees were also asked to identify the top five transferable skills that they would like to see students being taught.
For more information about Northampton College visit http://www.northamptoncollege.ac.uk