New City College launches second Low Carbon Technology Lab in push for green skills workforce

New City College has launched its second low carbon technology lab to provide green skills training for the region’s workforce.

The lab at the college’s Construction and Engineering Centre in Rainham, was launched at a special breakfast reception attended by industry experts and business leaders, who were given a tour of the cutting-edge facilities.

They heard about the benefits the new lab will provide in the challenge for a new way of working to meet cleaner energy and net zero targets.

Calley Page, Deputy Group Director for Apprenticeships & Business Development at New City College, spoke about how the plumbing and electrical industries are having to change the way their contractors and employees work to install the new technology for the future.

She said the new lab will be invaluable to employers who need to retrain their workforce in green skills and low carbon technologies. Courses and training are now already available at New City College Rainham for the next generation of installers and include Solar PV, Solar Thermal, Air Source Heat Pumps, Electric Storage, Electric Vehicle Charging, Retrofit, and Energy Efficiency.

Carly Alavoine, Commercial Manager for Apprenticeships and Business Development, took guests on a tour of the lab and individual bays, explaining some of the new technology and adding that the electricity in the room, the underfloor heating and some of the cars in the campus car park were all being powered by the solar panels on the building’s roof.

Jamie Stevenson Group Executive Director for Apprenticeships & Business Development said:

“This new training facility is another step forward in New City College’s commitment to sustainability. Technology is changing rapidly and it is difficult for technicians to retrain and get qualified in installing the technology of the future. These new courses are so necessary and we can now provide them in such brilliant facilities as the new Low Carbon Labs.

“We can deliver tailored, hands-on and bespoke training to existing employees and the future workforce to help the London region work towards net zero.”

At the launch of the first lab at NCC Hackney, Catherine Barber, Director of Environment and Energy for the GLA, had congratulated New City College, saying:

“The Mayor wants London to be net zero by 2030, so this agenda on climate change, on clean technology and providing the skills that London needs to meet this ambitious target, is so vital.

“There are currently about 4,000 people working in retrofit in London, but that figure needs to be closer to 60,000 people, so there is an enormous demand for skilled workers and the training you are offering.”

One business leader at the launch said:

“Right now the market is going crazy, searching for skilled staff. We need to lift the standard of training, of qualifications and of competence in low carbon technologies – that’s what the customer deserves, and this lab is where it will all start.”