British firms asked for feedback to help green construction stay one step ahead

Construction firms are being urged to give their views on improving the industry in light of the Government’s Green Deal, to make sure the UK workforce is equipped to face […]

Construction firms are being urged to give their views on improving the industry in light of the Government’s Green Deal, to make sure the UK workforce is equipped to face the new challenges required of them in the low carbon economy.

CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Industry Training Board and Sector Skills Council, and the Federation of Master Builders have made a consultation following a new specification for the building industry, the PAS 2030, which construction firms will have to adhere to when retrofitting energy-saving technology including: heating, wall, pipe, roof and loft insulation, draft proofing, double glazing, micro-generation and photovoltaics.

Mark Farrar, Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills said it was important that firms who wanted to stay ahead of the game took part in the consultation: “All installers will have to be certified to PAS 2030 standards and without the required accreditations, they may lose out on business come next October. But, the accreditation has to be realistic and that’s why it’s so important to make sure all firms are consulted properly.

“Although our industry is still battling with the impact of the recession, and growth is at an all time low- we know that demand for low carbon construction and associated knowledge and skills is only set to grow, with the ‘Green Deal’ alone potentially creating up to 100,000 jobs, and providing loans to up to 14 million homes in the UK. So, if small businesses are to take advantage of new opportunities, we need to act now.”

Instructions on how to respond to the consultation can be found on the ‘Cut the Carbon’ website: https://cutcarbon.info/greendealconsultation

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