The National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies is expanding its provision to deliver all skills and competencies required by the government’s Green Deal scheme, scheduled for roll out in October.

New skills

The move will see the inclusion of training in building insulation, consumer awareness, energy efficiency, energy assessment, energy advice, and underpinning business and management skills. These join the Academy’s core qualifications courses already on offer.

Cathryn Hickey, Executive Director of the Skills Academy (pictured), explained: “Many employers who support and use the Skills Academy will be working across the range of Green Deal measures. They believe it is necessary to expand training provision to deliver all of the skills and competences to support Green Deal and the low carbon agenda.

“By having a comprehensive training offering through the Skills Academy, building services and construction employers can be confident that the appropriate support infrastructure is in place for them to take advantage of the market when the Green Deal is launched this autumn.”

Broaden choice

Considered the ‘game-changer’ for the energy market, the Green Deal will facilitate its growth and broaden consumer choice. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has announced support of £1.3bn a year to deliver energy efficiency measures across Britain, helping to tackle fuel poverty and climate change. The Government has further reinforced its ambitions with news that it will fund all registration and oversights costs associated with the Green Deal for two years which means that official Green Deal approval will be free for installers, assessors and council providers during this period.

CIBSE announces expanded Young Engineers Awards

The growing importance of young engineers and their role in helping the UK emerge from economic recession is to be reflected in a new awards scheme developed by the Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE).

The CIBSE Young Engineers Awards 2012 brings together, for the first time, the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award, now in its 17th year and the Employer of the Year Award in one, high profile event to be held at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) in London.

By combining the two awards, the Institution is seeking to highlight the talent available to engineering employers while demonstrating the importance of providing young engineers with opportunities to advance their careers.

As well as rewarding and showcasing the innovative thinking, hard work and skills of graduate engineers, the awards scheme also picks out the employers which are doing the most to develop and encourage young talent.

The event will also feature a debate between members of the CIBSE Young Engineers Network (YEN) and the Presidents of the Institution; its US counterpart ASHRAE; and the IMechE.  Chaired by current CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Angela Malynn, who is also a member of the judging panel for this year’s Awards, alongside the Institutions’ Presidents, the debate will focus on improving the role of young engineers across the industry.

The graduate finalists will then give presentations to the audience at the IMechE before the judging panel decides who should receive the first prize of a trip as a VIP delegate and ambassador to next year’s ASHRAE Winter Conference in Dallas, Texas. Cash bursaries will also be presented by the Rumford Club to two runners up.

As well as the Employer of the Year Award and the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year Award, the IMechE Construction and Building Services Division Lifetime Achievement Award will also be presented.