Government to train 18,000 workers for green home upgrades

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced plans to train up to 18,000 new workers to meet rising demand for retrofitting homes with energy efficiency measures and low-carbon heating systems.

The Government is launching the Warm Homes Skills Programme, which will deliver 9,000 training places across England in areas such as solar panel fitting, insulation installation and heat networks.

In parallel, the Heat Training Grant is being extended with an additional £5m in funding, to be allocated through March 2026. This will support the training of another 5,500 heat pump installers and 3,500 heat network professionals. The grant has already trained more than 10,650 people by the end of March 2025.

Make UK’s director of policy and public affairs, Verity Davidge, said: “As we continue to transition to a low-carbon economy, it is critical we have the people and skills needed to make it happen.

“Today’s announcement is a positive step towards ensuring the workforce is equipped with these skills. Many of those trained will develop the transferable skills needed to support industry in its own quest to transition to net-zero.”

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