A new training programme to provide Bath and NE Somerset residents with retrofit skills to power the region's net-zero drive has been launched by Metro Mayor Dan Norris.

The Mayor, who is responsible for skills and training, will meet the first cohort of trainees taking part of the £180,000 programme funded by Mr Norris's West of England Authority and delivered by the Retrofit Academy CIC group. 

In total 120 locals will take part in the free training to become certified retrofit assessors, advisors and coordinators. Participants will get a mix of hands on and online training during the 16-week courses in order to gain industry-recognised Level 3 (retrofit advice), Level 4 (retrofit assessment) and Level 5 (retrofit coordination) certification meaning they can work on retrofit sites. 

As part of the launch the Mayor will have a chance to take part in a live retrofit training session, with an assessor from the Retrofit Academy group on site to help Mr Norris and learners. 

Mayor Norris said: "If we're going to have a retrofit revolution, we are going to need the workers to transform our homes. From Edwardian Bath townhouses to Bristolian Victorian terraces, there are 250,000 homes in our region that need greening - a huge number. That's why I'm proud to launch the £120,000 West of England Training Academy funded by my West of England Authority. The region quite simply needs a big, big jump in its retrofit workforce if we are going to reach our ambitious net-zero targets locally, and this training academy is an important step in the right direction. These are the highly skilled green jobs of the future that will drive our West of England region to future success". 

 The West of England retrofit courses will both support those already working in the industry to upskill and gain new qualifications as well as those with no previous construction experience who are looking to get into the sector. 

To find out more about the funded training on offer, please visit https://retrofitacademy.org/funded-bristol-bath/