The Retrofit Skills Pilot identified key challenges in workforce development, including low awareness, coordination gaps, and training barriers. It delivered local pilots, a regional skills plan, and practical outputs like training rigs, SME engagement videos, and workshops. Recommendations included forming a leadership group, youth engagement, employer networks, and data tracking.
A significant increase in skilled workers is required to retrofit homes across the UK and meet Net Zero by 2050. To help address the skills gap, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) launched a £5.3 million Regional Skills Pilot project delivered by the five Local Net Zero Hubs in England.
The objective was to create a Net Zero Building Retrofit Skills Plan for each region. This plan would identify and then implement the necessary steps to develop local supply chain capacity. The project was delivered in two phases:
The Midlands Net Zero Hub took a place-based approach to the project and awarded funding to:
During Phase 1, each of the local authorities awarded funding for the study examined the specific barriers and opportunities for developing the local retrofit supply chain. Their combined findings informed a regional plan led by a consultant appointed by the Midlands Net Zero Hub.
The study identified four core challenges: a shortage of skilled retrofit workers, limited new entrants, weak coordination across initiatives, and the administrative burden associated with TrustMark lodgement for ECO4.
To address these, nine recommendations were proposed, including establishing regional leadership, creating a retrofit employer network, expanding youth engagement, improving training and standards, and improving data on skills and workforce demand.
Phase 2 of the Regional Skills Pilot provided funding to put the recommended solutions into action, focusing on strengthening retrofit skills and market awareness across the Midlands. The programme produced career‑engagement materials for young people and SMEs, delivered 12 full training rigs (with components for around 14), and engaged 30 local businesses.
The project also created three targeted SME‑focused videos explaining retrofit and how to enter the market, and held six workshops to build networks between councils, training providers, and local firms. These outputs are designed to support long‑term growth and capability in the regional retrofit supply chain.
A full report and its findings was produced from this project. It found that the Midlands faces significant and interconnected challenges in developing the workforce needed for large‑scale Net Zero building retrofit. Analysis shows that the region lacks sufficient skilled installers across core retrofit measures, with existing construction workers often not trained in the specialist competencies required for high‑quality delivery. At the same time, there is an inadequate pipeline of new entrants, particularly young people, resulting in long‑term risks to workforce sustainability.
The study highlights fragmented coordination between local authorities, training providers, and industry, leading to duplicated effort, inconsistent approaches, and missed opportunities to scale successful initiatives. Administrative obligations associated with TrustMark and ECO4 further create barriers for SMEs, many of whom struggle with compliance and certification requirements. Training provision across the region remains uneven, with gaps in both infrastructure and employer involvement, making it difficult to expand accredited, high‑quality retrofit training at pace.
Stakeholder engagement reveals strong appetite for progress but also widespread concerns about information gaps, limited awareness of retrofit careers, and weak communication between partners. Overall, the report concludes that the Midlands must adopt a more strategic and unified approach, underpinned by better skills intelligence, stronger regional leadership, improved engagement with employers, and sustained investment in developing a capable, future‑ready retrofit workforce.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © MNZH. You may use this content (including commercially) under the Open Government Licence v3.0, provided you credit MNZH and include the licence link.
Designed to aid Local Authorities in developing robust, evidence-based plans to enable Net Zero.
Already have an account? Login
Guest preview of selected publicly available resourcesFull library of 1,000+ articlesCPD accredited e-learning coursesCase studiesDiscussion forum
