Our rapidly growing need for cleaner energy, efficient new homes and electric vehicle infrastructure means this should be a bumper time for appropriately trained individuals and companies. But serious skill gaps in key fields like electrics, retrofit, bricklaying and carpentry have created a bottleneck that is currently preventing us from fully exploiting those opportunities.

In the article below – recently published in the The Yorkshire Post – our Principal, Danny Wild, explains how our new campus will help the region tackle the issue.

Numerous studies have laid out the scale of the problem, with nearly one million extra construction workers expected to be needed by 2032. To meet that demand, we will need to see a dramatic, 34 percent increase in apprenticeship completion rates along with a major upswing in training.

This represents a genuine structural challenge for the country, its educators and businesses – one that will require a significant increase in the amount and quality of training, and apprenticeship, places that are available.

A future-proof new campus

Students being given a tour of our under-construction new campus by developers Caddick Construction

The government’s plans to allow school pupils to follow technical education pathways from the age of 14 is a welcome step in the right direction in terms of early engagement, and should hopefully encourage many more young people to embark on a journey that will see them go on to join the workforce as valued tradespeople.

To succeed, however, this strategy will also need enough places waiting ‘down the line’, in further education, to ensure such students can continue and advance their training – and we know, from a number of reports this year, that this is just not currently the case. 

That is why institutions like ours are investing heavily and working hard to expand capacity while ‘future-proofing’ our facilities, to ensure we can train greater numbers of the tradespeople we need for generations to come.

At Harrogate College, this has involved a complete £22 million rebuild of our campus that will produce a new teaching block, complete with a digital technology suite, replica hospital ward and electric vehicle workshop, plus a standalone Clean Energy Centre.

Stepping up to support electricans

We will also, once the work is completed later this year, have three additional electrical workspaces which will allow us to train more people and go some way towards addressing the growing demand, across Yorkshire, for access to electrical courses.

And our Clean Energy Centre, with its EV (electric vehicle) charging wall, will help additional students learn the skills they need to support electric Vehicle (EV) charger installation and repairs – techniques that will become increasingly important as we continue to transition to electric modes of transport.

Indeed, qualified electricians are among some of the most in-demand roles in the building sector at the moment, both for their contribution to conventional construction projects and newer technologies including heat pumps, solar generation, renewable energy integration and EV charging.

Spreading the word on sustainable construction

Sustainable construction, and especially retrofit – the process of upgrading existing properties to make them more energy efficient and environmentally friendly – is another key growth area that is urgently in need of more training support, with some 230,000 skilled workers needed by 2030.

To that end, we have been putting a lot of effort into both facilitating retrofit courses at the college and having our teachers trained, thanks to Local Skills Improvement Fund money, in retrofit methodology and techniques.

Those teachers will in turn be cascading that knowledge to other members of staff, and our new facilities will include two retrofit rigs for learners to work on, too. This will help us as we put on more retrofit courses, including evening classes for companies that  need to upskill their staff. It will also allow us to step up our efforts to meet the local demand for these skills while building a reputation as a specialist retrofit training provider.

We will  have a solar panels unit to demonstrate how this renewable energy technology works, a full size passivhaus – a highly efficient property demonstrating ultra-low energy usage standards – plus air source heat pumps and HIVE units; it’s all about ensuring our learners can acquire the core green skills the industry needs before they join the workforce.

Businesses at the heart of what we do

CEO Steven Sexton from Techbuyer, the first business sponsor of our new campus, with students.

Employers are also very interested in training their employees in retrofit, especially, plus other bespoke green skills  – and we’re looking to extend that substantially from our new facilities, while working closely with local businesses to build upon our apprenticeships programme.

This support for the sector will also see us delivering new courses from our new campus, including health and safety classes for people who need to acquire the CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) card that’s needed to work on a building site.

This is an exciting time as we, along with fellow colleges across Yorkshire and beyond, adapt and expand to rise to the significant challenges ahead. Yes, the scale of those challenges is considerable – but so is our commitment, bolstered by our purpose-built new facilities, to rise to meet them and help our region reap the rewards.

To do so, we will be forging even closer ties with our fantastic local businesses so they can help shape our courses and ensure our students are truly ‘industry ready’ by the time they leave us. Employers should contact our Performance and Projects Coordinator, at Lynn-Yang.Liu@harrogate.ac.uk, to find out how to get involved.

Tom Gordon, the Liberal Democrat MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, recently toured Harrogate College to see early progress on our campus redevelopment.

The redevelopment, which was backed by £20 million in funding from the Department for Education, is on course to deliver a modern, purpose-built learning environment for students that will expand the range of courses the college course can offer and allow us to better meet the future skills needs of employers.

Plans to redevelop Harrogate College encountered significant delays last year. As a result of these delays, we faced a real possibility of not being able to go ahead with the project altogether. Tom Gordon was a valuable ally during this period, raising the issue in Parliament, writing to the relevant Minister and keeping the issue on the Government’s agenda. 

Tom Gordon, MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough, said: ‘When I was elected, the project was under real threat. I made it my top priority to secure an extension to the £20 million commitment – and after sustained pressure, I’m pleased the extension was agreed and work is now underway.’  

During his visit, Tom Gordon heard how the redevelopment will expand the college’s provision in key areas such as advanced manufacturing, health sciences, retrofit, sustainable energy and hospitality, creating more opportunities for people to gain the skills they need to succeed.  

Danny Wild, Principal of Harrogate College, said: ‘This rebuild will provide a significant and much-needed upgrade that will enable us to build on the good work we’re doing to equip our students with the skills they, and the region’s employers, really need.  

‘The new purpose-built facility will allow us to expand the breadth and quality of our curriculum, so we can continue to provide high-quality vocational and technical education as well as apprenticeships for many years to come. I am grateful for Tom’s support in helping get this rebuild over the line and underway.’ 

The rebuild is being carried out by Caddick Construction and is expected to ready for students in January 2027.

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.
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Business Newsletter – May 2023 Dear partners, We were proud to be nominated for three Harrogate Advertiser Business Excellence Awards this year – and are absolutely delighted to now be able to say that we have been crowned winners in one of them! Read on to find out more. May has been a busy time in college (despite all the Bank Holidays), and started off in fine style when we welcomed the local Chef of the Year finalists in to compete for the trophy. We were also pleased to share some great news about two of our supported interns who are working at Harrogate Hospital – another success story for our partnership work with local employers. Your Harrogate’s King of the Courses competition, meanwhile, is continuing to spark interest in our courses while providing some light-hearted fun for the station and its listeners/readers. We include an update on presenters Nick and Pete’s latest challenge in this edition of the newsletter. I hope you enjoy the read! Danny Wild Principal Harrogate College ____ Harrogate Business Excellence Awards As this great photograph (taken by Gerard Binks Photography) shows – we were one of the winners at the Harrogate Advertiser Business Excellence Awards 2023! We scooped the Sustainability Award on the night, in recognition of our work to deliver vital green skills training while reducing our own carbon footprint. Principal Danny Wild said: “As a college that is fully committed to playing its part in tackling the climate emergency and supporting our businesses as they embrace green technology, we are delighted to see our sustainability work being recognised like this.” The college was also a finalist in the Business in the Community and Employee Health and Wellbeing Award categories. ____ Awards for hospital interns We’re proud to share the news that two of our supported interns have received a national award. Lewis Grayston and Charlize Barik, who are both based at Harrogate Hospital, were recognised for their progress and achievements by Hft, a charity that supports over 2,500 adults with learning disabilities. The pair were two of only 20 interns and graduates, from across England and Wales, to receive the award. Find out more. ____    A ‘hair-raising’ challenge for presenters Nick and Pete Nick Hancock and Pete Egerton, from Your Harrogate, have been coming to the college regularly since April to try their hand at all kinds of skills. Their latest King of the Courses challenge saw the duo receive some quick, expert training on the art of hair styling, before putting what they learnt to the test on two ‘training heads’. To find out how they fared, and more about the competition and the pair’s previous results, click here. ____ College welcomes top chefs for ‘cook-off’ We were glad to welcome some of the Harrogate district’s top chefs on Tuesday 2 May. As has become an annual tradition, the finalists of the Harrogate Hospitality & Tourism Awards‘ Chef of the Year contest used the college’s catering facilities for their ‘cook off’. The contestants were each challenged to create a delicious main course from a mystery box of ingredients. The winner will be revealed at an awards ceremony on 12 June.

Work with us! We are a college that prides itself on collaborating wth the district’s businesses and community groups. To find out more contact Business Engagement Advisor Susan Roberts, email: Susan.Roberts@harrogate.ac.uk .

We hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of our Business Newsletter.

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.