Construction businesses can find out how to make super energy-efficient buildings through a free course we are delivering.

Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management, a four week, one-day-a-week training programme that has been fully funded by the government, will start on Tuesday 7 March.

Passive houses are built to rigorous energy efficient design standards to help them maintain an almost constant temperature – thereby slashing their energy bills and carbon footprint.

The course will be run by Leeds-based passive house specialists Pure Haus, who will also be installing a mini passive house in our grounds on Thursday 2 March.

Welcome to the future of the construction industry

Director Kevin Pratt said: “Building energy efficient homes and retrofitting homes to make them more energy efficient is the future.

“I’m so pleased that Harrogate College has embraced the future of the construction industry and this course is a really exciting project for us to be involved in.

“We’re looking forward to installing a ‘mini pure haus’ at the college, too; it will be a real eye-opener for students and help educate them about how we need to build homes to play our part in tackling climate change.”

As an environmentally conscious college which is working to achieve carbon zero status by 2035, we are always looking for ways to raise awareness of the sustainability and green skills agenda. In March, we will be holding a variety of environmentally-focused activities for our Green Month.

One of those events will see Zero Carbon Harrogate, at 6.30pm on 16 March, present a free introductory talk on Retrofitting Your Home. Guests will hear from several expert speakers about the art of eco-renovation and how to go about improving the energy efficiency of their properties.

This will be the latest in a string of retrofit courses or information events that we have helped to deliver over the past two years.

Playing our part in the fight against climate change

Principal Danny Wild said: “Creating more energy efficient buildings, and improving the efficiency of the ones we already have, is an important part of the fight against climate change.

“We are delighted to be partnering with local businesses and community groups to raise awareness of, and offer training in, skills like passive house building and retrofitting.

“It is such practices that we all need to adopt, as organisations and individuals, if we are to make real change, reduce our collective carbon footprint and, of course, save money.”

Other Green Month events will include a visit by North Yorkshire Rotters and their smoothie-making bicycle on 3 March and a fashion show on 29 March. A variety of sustainably produced dishes, meanwhile, will be served in the canteen throughout the month.

Click here to book a place on Passive House for Construction Professionals and Management. The retrofit talk, meanwhile, can be booked here.

Our commitment to sustainability has been recognised by a major environmental awards scheme.

The Green Gown Awards celebrates examples of exceptional green projects that are being carried out by education institutions across the country.

Harrogate College reached the finals this year after being shortlisted for the Tomorrow’s Employees category. The judges were impressed by the partnership work we are doing to provide retrofit training, our delivery of green skills based on local feedback, and our efforts to embed sustainability into our courses.

The 2022 winners were announced at Loughborough University on November 8, when Professor Sir Duncan Wingham, Executive Chair of the Natural Environment Research Council, congratulated all the finalists.

He said: “Their work is helping us to meet the challenge of ensuring environmental sustainability is an inherent part of research and innovation excellence.”

Another step towards green excellence

The college, which is striving to become a recognised centre of green excellence, also now provides carbon literacy training for all of our staff and students.

We have been teaming up with local organisations such as Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition to raise awareness of, and provide courses on, retrofitting – which makes buildings more energy efficient.

And we are working closely with businesses, too – through our Employers’ Network – to provide training in other green skill areas including electrical vehicle charging technology and renewable energy installation.

Principal Danny Wild said: “As a college that is determined to play its part in tackling the climate emergency, we are pleased to see our ever-evolving sustainability work being recognised in this way.

“The Green Gown Awards celebrate best practice in environmental initiatives across the country, so we are in good company.

“This recognition will inspire us to work even harder to become a centre of green excellence and, as outlined in our Sustainability Pledge, become a net zero college by 2035.”

The college’s environmental work was previously recognised by the Green Gown Awards in 2021, when its Performance and Projects Coordinator was shortlisted in the Sustainability Champion category.

The district’s landlords have been finding out about the benefits of ‘eco-refurbishment’ at an information event hosted by Harrogate College.

Retrofit for Landlords, run in partnership with Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, took place on Wednesday 2 November.

Seventeen local landlords heard from expert guest speakers about how they could go about retrofitting their properties, thereby cutting tenants’ energy bills while reducing carbon emissions.

The speakers included Mike Kaye from Energy Oasis, Sarah Stark and Emma Wade from Harrogate Borough Council, Erin Wheeler from York and North Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and John Kerr from Zero Carbon Harrogate.

Supporting action on climate change

Harrogate College’s Principal, Danny Wild, said: “We were delighted to team up with Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition to hold this information evening.

“Improving the efficiency of our district’s rented properties is a crucial part of the wider push towards sustainability, so it was encouraging to see such a good turnout.

“Guests also had lots of questions for the speakers about how they could develop their properties to help support their tenants.

“As a college, we are committed to reducing our own carbon emissions while delivering the green skills training our economy needs. We are only too pleased to work with local landlords, businesses and forward-thinking organisations on initiatives like this which will be vital in our efforts to slow climate change.”

Subjects covered on the night included: a Net-Zero Toolkit, how landlords can access free energy-efficiency training, details on a new local grant to support retrofit projects, and a look at some successful retrofitting schemes.

Landlords can find out about the benefits of retrofitting at an information evening at Harrogate College.

Retrofit for Landlords, which is being held in partnership with Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition, takes place from 6pm to 7.30pm on Wednesday 2 November.

Designed to explain how ‘eco-refurbishment’ of properties can improve efficiency, cut energy bills and reduce carbon emissions, the event will feature several presentations.

Guest speakers will include Sarah Stark from Harrogate Borough Council, who will be sharing details about a new council grant that can be used by landlords and answering questions about EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) regulations.

Shining a light on how to help the environment and the economy

Harrogate College Principal, Danny Wild, said: “We look forward to welcoming many landlords  to this event, where they can hear about the benefits of retrofitting.

“Working closely with local employers, to ensure our courses and training delivers the maximum possible benefit to them, is one of our key aims.

“We are also striving to become a net zero carbon college* by 2030, as set out in our sustainability pledge, and supporting green skills like retrofitting aligns perfectly with our sustainability goals.

“So we are delighted to be teaming up with the Harrogate District Climate Change Coalition to stage this event, which sets out how practical steps can be taken to help both our economy and the environment.”

Expert speakers

Other guest speakers will include Erin Wheeler and Katie Privett from York and North Yorkshire LEP, who will give presentations on the net-zero business toolkit and energy and retrofit options, respectively.

John Kerr from Zero Carbon Harrogate, meanwhile, will be discussing the work it is doing – including through teaming up with Harrogate College – to provide free retrofit training, and how landlords can access it.

Places at the event can be booked here:  www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/harrogate-college-retrofit-event-tickets-425667923217.

*The college now provides carbon literacy training for its staff and students, and has embedded sustainable practice into all of its courses as it works towards becoming a recognised centre of green excellence.

Harrogate College prides itself on working hand in hand with local businesses and organisations to provide the skills and training they need to ensure that our economy grows and thrives. Our monthly newsletter is a handy way of keeping our partners informed of developments at the college.

Business Newsletter – December, 2021 Dear Partners, Welcome, as we start a new year full of exciting fresh opportunities, to our monthly newsletter. Harrogate College prides itself on working closely with businesses to provide an employer-led curriculum, and on helping to provide the green skills training that will be so crucial to our economy as we transition to a more environmentally supportive model. So we are proud to focus, in this month’s edition, on a new course that we are launching this month, which is focused on what is becoming an ever more important part of the sustainability toolkit – retrofitting. Our securing of Department for Education funding to run a retrofit course follows on from our key role in helping the Harrogate district stage its first ever Climate Action Festival last year, and reflects our commitment to both the green skills agenda and the local construction industry. We also have a number of Harrogate College Employers’ Network events to look forward to as we progress into the new year, and seek to consolidate our ties with our local business partners while exploring new opportunities. I hope you enjoy the read and look forward to working with you throughout 2022. Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College —————————– Leading the way on green skills with our Retrofit course We are delighted to be launching a specialist new course, Foundations of Eco-Retrofit, that is designed to give local construction industry members a route into the ever-growing energy efficient homes market. Run by experienced retrofit contractors and experts from not-for-profit organisation, People Powered Retrofit, the two-day course is focused on helping small businesses and sole traders build on their existing knowledge and skills so they can carry out eco-renovation works. Those taking part will also benefit from meeting other local businesses, gain insights into how to stay up-to-date with the latest green building techniques, and learn how to find new retrofit opportunities. Harrogate College’s Partnerships and Development Lead, Holly Hansen-Maughan, said: “We are proud to be launching such a progressive course, and one that has been tailored to help those working in our local construction industry get ahead of the curve and be part of the green recovery. “This is a great example of how all of the excitement and networking which arose from last year’s Harrogate Climate Action Festival is translating into concrete action and movements towards positive change.” The first course takes place in January over two days, Saturday 22 and Saturday 29, and runs from 10am to 4pm. A second course will then be held in March, on Saturday 12 and Saturday 19. Places can be booked here. An £80 discount will be available to the first 15 course applicants – who should use the code ZEROCARBON80 – courtesy of Zero Carbon Harrogate. The college will also be hosting a retrofit awareness event in February, after staging a successful initial awareness evening, in partnership with Zero Carbon Harrogate, last November. It takes place on Thursday 17 February. Click here for more details. —————————– . Bringing local businesses and the college closer together Representatives from a wide variety of businesses turned out for the launch of Harrogate College Employers’ Network in 2021, and there are plenty of forthcoming opportunities for more firms to get involved as the network (HCEN) heads into 2022. First up will be a series of industry-specific sub-group meetings that will be held at the college between Monday 14 and Friday 18 February. Designed to encourage fruitful dialogue between employers in similar fields, the sessions will cover Energy & Construction, Health & Social Care, Hospitality & Retail, Digital, Education & Training and Business & Finance. Each will also feature an open table discussion plus a chance to network while enjoying complimentary tea and cake. Then on Thursday June 16, existing and new members will be invited to meet to review the network’s progress to date, explain what kinds of courses and skills they would like the college to provide, and discuss future activities. Harrogate College launched the network as part of its ongoing work to deliver a truly employer-led curriculum, and participating businesses can help shape the courses, and skills, that are on offer. HCEN members take part in quarterly discussion groups and enjoy a range of benefits including course discounts, plus free advertising and promotion across the college’s media platforms. For more details about upcoming network events, and booking links, click here. —————————– We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter – we’ll be back with more next month!