Government to fund 18,000 retrofit training places

The government will help fund up to 18,000 training places through the launch of its Warm Homes Skills Programme and extension of its Heat Training Grant.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) will subsidise training opportunities for retrofit and installation professionals, including installing insulation and solar panels in homes and non-domestic properties.

Under the Warm Homes Skills Programme, training providers across England can apply for financial support through a skills competition to fund accredited and non-accredited Ofqual-registered courses.

There will be four work packages covering courses in: fabric insulation and solar panel installation; skills for working on non-domestic buildings; retrofit assessor and retrofit coordinator qualifications; and shorter entry-level courses for those new to the retrofit sector.

A maximum of £1m will be available for each competition project in the first phase, across all four work packages, subject to subsidy control restrictions. The number of projects funded will depend on the range of solutions proposed and the quality of the proposals received.

As well delivering “high-quality” training, successful projects may be expected to provide careers support to unemployed people and those currently underrepresented in the construction sector.

According to DESNZ, the programme aims to increase supply chain capacity and competence to support the delivery of the government’s Warm Homes Plan, which targets upgrading up to 300,000 households by 2026.

The deadline for applications is 12pm on 6 June.

Another way the government will build its “clean power army” is through the extension of its Heat Training Grant, which supports trainees in England undertaking 

DESNZ is also considering new proposals to give homeowners more choice over ways to access heating systems under the Warm Homes Plan.

Following an increase in demand for heat pumps, it could expand its Boiler Upgrade Scheme to allow families access to air-to-air heat pumps and electric heating technologies such as heat batteries, which are currently not eligible for grants under the scheme.

Meanwhile, new purchase and ownership models could spread the cost of a heat pump over several years, or give households the opportunity to lease one for a monthly fee instead. 

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme offers up to £7,500 off the cost and has seen an 88% rise in the number of applications in March 2025 from the same month last year.