NORTHAMPTON: Sustainable Building Solutions (SBS) – part of the Travis Perkins Group – in conjunction with  PPL Training, has announced that the first set of City & Guilds accredited courses in Green Deal Domestic Energy Assessing (Advice) are now available for Domestic Energy Assessors, plumbers, electricians and heating engineers who currently undertake Domestic Energy Assessing activities.

In April 2012, Travis Perkins announced its strategic partnership with Green Deal Provider, Toriga Energy, and has extended its current relationship with PPL Training to cover Green Deal Training provision.

The news follows months of training course development work between City & Guilds and Asset Skills, the employer-led skills body for Facilities Management - and last week an initial competency framework was released, based on the requirements of The Department of Climate Change (DECC).

Paul Joyner, director of SBS, said: “We are delighted to be working with PPL Training to deliver our Green Deal training courses, which will form a key element in our market-leading Green Deal offer.”

“The Green Deal is set to revolutionise the energy-efficiency of the UK’s homes," stated James Booth, managing director of PPL Training.  

"Any existing tradesperson wanting to benefit from the additional building work demand the Green Deal will bring, should act now to stay ahead of the competition. PPL Training is pleased to be working with SBS and the Travis Perkins Group and to have the opportunity to be one of the first training providers to run the new Domestic Energy Assessing (Advice) course. We aim to set the standards in Green Deal Training through our in-depth course content and portfolio build, as well as our highly specialised experienced trainers”.

The Green Deal will allow householders throughout the UK to make cost effective energy-efficiency improvements to their home at no upfront cost, which will increase the demand for home improvements such as insulation, energy-efficiency boilers, renewables and double glazing.

"With 65 000 extra jobs to be created by the Green Deal by 2015 and £3.5m funding currently being set aside by DECC for training, it is crucial that the up-skilling of the UK’s skilled professionals starts now in order to get the Green Deal off the ground and running," said Mr Joyner.