Sustainability skills gap must be plugged to meet the North East’s green home aspirations

New research shows the extent of the North East’s demand for sustainable living, as the majority would consider a home to be worth more money if it was sustainably constructed. A report released alongside the research highlights the technical skills that are needed if the North East’s consumers’ green ambitions are to be met.

The skills to succeed: Meeting the country’s evolving technical skills needs’ report, produced on behalf of the Institutes of Technology, looks at a range of challenges that communities, face today, including sustainable construction and energy.

Research released alongside the report shows that 64 per cent of people in the North East would consider a home to be worth more money if it was sustainably constructed. It also shows that whilst the majority of people in the North East currently use electricity (79 per cent) and gas (80 per cent), if cost wasn’t a factor 54 per cent would opt for renewable sources of energy.

Furthermore, people in the North East would rather have good insulation (45 per cent) in their next home than plentiful built-in storage (43 per cent) or an entertaining space (21 per cent).

However, despite this appetite for greener living, the ‘The skills to succeed: Meeting the country’s evolving technical skills needs’ report outlines that a workforce with the right technical skills are needed to make it a reality.

The North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT) is part of a new national network of regional partnerships between local colleges, universities and leading employers across England, created to ensure the technical skills and knowledge needed to overcome the biggest challenges communities face are accessible to all.

IoTs provide training in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) based occupations, many of which address sustainability demands facing the country, such as in energy, construction and agritech industries. Their work is increasing the accessibility of vital expertise for employers seeking to embrace innovation.

Michelle Donelan, Minister for Higher and Further Education, says, “the need to support sectors such as advanced manufacturing and engineering, construction and digital looks set to only grow and with their close ties to employers, Institutes of Technology will be the driving force behind ensuring the workforce is ready for future technological change and changing working practices.”

Mark Anderson, strategic lead for North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT), says, “the work we are doing at North East Institute of Technology (NEIoT) and across the Institute of Technology (IoT) network is vital to address the increasing demand for sustainability across the region and nation.

“By working closely with our region’s employers to train their workforce and future workforce for the needs of industry both now and in the future, we can be pioneers of training for key forces for change such as sustainable construction methods and efficient energy sources. We are able to support industry as it works to deliver for consumer and business demands.”

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