The race to retrofit Hertfordshire’s housing stock is on. With circa 500,000 homes requiring energy efficiency measures by 2050 and only 157 certified retrofit installers currently operating within the county, the retrofit sector presents significant upskilling and growth opportunities for local people and businesses, supported by Hertfordshire LEP’s ‘Retrofit: Greener Homes’ programme.

Hertfordshire’s retrofit target is set to cost over £800 million and 1.58 million trade days to deliver. To meet this challenge, an estimated 59,800 retrofitters are needed now to cover a wide range of technical and non-technical roles, from energy and retrofit assessors, insulation installers and skilled trades to customer advisors, project managers, finance professionals and more.

The county’s energy efficiency supply chain, currently worth £1.2bn, is projected to grow to £36bn by 2030, with the employment offered by the sector set to increase by 203% by 2028. Over half of current sales come from the installation of heat pumps, solar PV, ventilation and energy management systems alone. However, with just 157 certified retrofit installers currently operating in the county, the sector provides significant commercial opportunities for businesses seeking new avenues to growth.

The ‘Retrofit: Greener Homes’ programme is funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and delivered by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) on behalf of the Greater South East Net Zero Hub. The programme includes targeted interventions to develop the county’s retrofit capability including:

• Business grant scheme: up to £2,500 for micro businesses, and up to £5,000 for small to medium sized businesses, will be available to support the training needs of Hertfordshire employers interested in offering a retrofit product or service, which can be used to pay for an accredited training course. Applications close on 31st March.
• Training provider grant scheme: up to £12,500 funding available to providers looking to develop or expand their existing training provision, which can be used towards the purchase of equipment, accreditation or licensing of course content.

The urgent demand for qualified workers means the retrofit sector offers growing job prospects for residents. Hertfordshire LEP is supporting those looking to retrain or upskill in retrofit via:

• Skills Bootcamps: free and flexible short courses open to all adults aged 19+ regardless of their employment status, covering a broad range of topics relating to retrofit, green skills and construction.

Those who would like to apply for the business grant scheme or Skills Bootcamps can do so via the LEP’s skills portal, HOP. HOP’s dedicated team of Retrofit Skills Advisors are on hand to provide 1-2-1 support, answer queries, and signpost to suitable retrofit opportunities. Visit the 'Retrofit: Greener Homes' hub on HOP

Businesses and tradespeople are also invited to learn how to maximise the retrofit opportunity at the upcoming ‘Driving Greener Homes – Retrofit Breakfast Summit’. This free event will take place on Wednesday, 20^th March in St Albans and is hosted by Hertfordshire LEP, HOP and Oaklands College. Learn more and book your place