Careers in domestic retrofit

Retrofit careers

What is retrofit?

Retrofitting includes a wide variety of jobs and skills that help to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings. When a property has been retrofitted it can retain heat for longer. This increases the comfort of a home whilst also lowering energy usage which can result in lowered energy costs and carbon emissions.

There are a wide variety of retrofitting jobs requiring lots of different skills. Some help to reduce heat loss, such as fitting various forms of insulation, and others involve replacing fossil fuel heating systems with low carbon technologies such as heat pumps. Retrofitting also requires skills in a variety of other important areas such as energy advice, digital design, and project management.

The demand for retrofit

Lowering our energy consumption and switching to renewable technologies such as solar or heat pumps, plays a huge role in reducing our carbon emissions.

Heating and powering our homes accounts for just over a quarter (28%) of our region’s carbon emissions, making retrofitting incredibly important to achieving our environmental goals.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) indicate that over 250,000 homes in the West of England require retrofitting. That’s a huge amount of retrofitting work over the next few years to meet our net zero targets.

Group of smiling people plastering a wall

Retrofit careers

Why get into retrofit?

You would be directly helping people to live more comfortably in their homes and reduce their energy consumption in a cost-of-living crisis.

You would be reducing carbon emissions and having a positive impact on the environment.

The demand for retrofit skills will grow as they are essential to fulfilling the regional and national commitment to reducing carbon emissions to net-zero.

There are training grants available in the industry which you may be eligible for.

Pathways

Find your pathway into domestic retrofit

Explore a career pathway in in domestic retrofit, offering information for new starters as well as experienced professionals looking to train up.

1 Plumbing pathways Whether you're getting started or looking to develop existing skills, explore the pathways into retrofit through plumbing.

2 Electrical pathways Whether you're getting started or looking to develop existing skills, explore the pathways into retrofit through electrical trades.

3 Construction pathways Whether you're getting started or looking to develop existing skills, explore the pathways into retrofit through construction.

Retrofit training

How to find the right course for you

Career changers or new starters

If you are looking to start afresh in the retrofit industry, work experience, apprenticeships and technical education are all good routes to exploring new careers.

Option 1: Apprenticeships and technical education

Eligibility: 16+
Cost: Free. In the case of apprenticeships, learners are paid (rates of pay vary).
Length: Varies depending on level and subject area but typically 1-5years.
Benefits: Combines real work with training and study, where you get to put skills into practice.

You can explore the variety of courses apprenticeships and technical education on the IfATE Occupational Maps. For local support and guidance, contact the Western Training Provider Network.

Option 2: Work experience

Experience is key to working in retrofit roles and is often an essential requirement for earning certain qualifications. Arranging a work experience placement is a great way to get a sense of the industry as well as build skills, gain experience and grow your network.

Professional organisations supporting different industries often provide advice on gaining work experience (look for links to ‘Professional and Industry Bodies’ at the bottom of each of our retrofit pages).

Industry professionals (CPD and upskilling)

If you have experience in a relevant role such as a builder, plumber, energy assessor, or electrician and want to widen your skillset to include retrofitting, there are lots of short courses available to you. Below are some examples of common types of training.

Option 1: Skills Bootcamps

Eligibility: 19 years+
Cost: Free
Length: up to 16 weeks (part-time/flexible courses to help fit around commitments)
Benefits: Great for upskilling and/or broadening your skillset to support progressing your work opportunities, often a fast-track to an interview.

Search for a relevant bootcamp, or read the stories of others who have completed them.

Option 2: Further Training or Continual Professional Development (CPD)

Eligibility: Various
Cost: Various
Length: As little as a few hours, up to weeks or months depending on the subject.
Benefits: Great for keeping up-to-date on industry standards and developments, and developing new skills.

Have a look at the different retrofit pages for more detailed information.

Take a quiz

If you are unsure which areas of retrofit are for you, why not try Go Construct’s Quiz to help you understand the areas of the built environment might be suited to you and your interests.

Contact a Skills Connect advisor

Retrofit careers

Salary Indicators

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Heat Pump Engineer

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Solar PV Installer

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Retrofit Coordinator

Skills requested by employers

If you are considering changing careers or starting out on your career journey, there are lots of different retrofit roles you can move into.

Research has identified the core transferable skills most beneficial in the retrofit industry:

Adaptability
Cross-discipline working
Collaboration
Critical thinking
Communication
Problem-solving
Systems-thinking
Business Management
Change Management
Leadership
Project Management

Retrofit careers

Finding Support

RetrofitWest is funded by the West of England Combined Authority to support and guide individuals and businesses through the new and evolving opportunities of retrofitting. Their trade members network offers opportunities to access events, join their approved traders list, as well as further opportunities that support the advancement of the retrofit industry in the West of England.

Growth Hub can support you if you own a business and are looking for additional support.

You can also contact our Skills Connect advisors who are happy to talk through the different options available to you.