Northampton College opens £500,000 green skills centre

Northampton College hopes to address the UK’s shortage of construction workers by launching a £500,000 renewable energy education and training facility focused on ‘green skills.’

The new Green Skills Centre at Booth Lane will annually serve up to 250 students, offering daily access to the latest green technologies.

It aims to reskill adults transitioning into the construction industry and improve the skills of current professionals in the field.

The centre will also support various green initiatives at Northampton College, including the Big Rig Low Carbon Challenge, which encourages sustainable construction careers among secondary school students throughout the county.

Designed by decarbonisation specialist and renewable training provider Quantum, the centre includes rigs and bays for air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, solar PV, solar thermal, wind generation, vehicle electrification, and EV charging.

Students will receive training on advanced low-carbon technologies, including Daikin air source heat pumps.

Deputy Principal Patrick Leavey said: “We tasked Quantum with creating one of the best renewable technology centres in the country for us and they haven’t disappointed.

“This incredible facility will support the UK’s targets around carbon reduction and help to address the acute skills shortages within construction personnel to meet the rising demand for green technologies.

“This is a fantastic resource for Northamptonshire and the region and will strengthen the area’s construction and built environment workforce by providing them with specialist green construction skills which are needed across the UK.”

Construction Curriculum manager Mark Bradshaw said: “The technology in our Green Skills Centre is highly sophisticated and we’re replicating the best contemporary professional practices there to help our region get to net zero.

“With support from Castle Climate Control and Thorn Electrical we’ll be offering master classes, we’re developing a range of competency and licence-to-practice courses in various green technologies and we’re also creating a sustainability course.”