UK Climate Change Minister Greg Barker has launched a new partnership this week to ensure that private firms have the right skills to deliver the Green Deal amid widespread concerns that the scheme is flawed.

The Green Deal Skills Alliance (GDSA), which brings together three skills organisations – Asset Skills, ConstructionSkills and SummitSkills, will create training and accreditation for the energy assessment, advice and installation workforce.

“The success of the Green Deal will, in part, come down to having people who have the right skills and knowledge to instil trust,” says Climate Change Minister Greg Barker.

The GDSA will develop and implement the ‘Green Deal Competency Framework’, which will create common standards and qualifications for the entire assessment, advice and installation process.

The organisation’s programme will start by running four events around the country to raise awareness in the sector that only those with the right qualifications will be able to undertake work under the Green Deal.

“It is vital that firms, particularly SMEs, are able to meet demand for the construction of low carbon technology, as well as knowing how not to fall foul of changing regulations,” says Mark Farrar, chief executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills.

The government says that the Green Deal could create 65,000 jobs by 2015 to support the installation of energy efficiency measures in 14 million homes.
But the numerous organisations voicing their concerns over the home energy efficiency improvement scheme have now been joined by the business lobby group, the CBI.

The organisation warned that the scheme needs customer demand to succeed, which will rely on ensuring the entire Green Deal process is as customer-friendly as possible.

“Without demand we haven’t got a Green Deal. Businesses are ready to work with the Government to excite and incentivise consumers, by emphasising the cost-saving as well as the carbon-saving benefits,” says the CBI’s business environment director Rhian Kelly.