Home retrofitting is a significant part of enabling the construction industry to transition to net zero by 2050. Retrofitting homes is not just about reducing carbon emissions and improving energy security. It's about addressing fuel poverty, enhancing the health and well-being of occupants, and significantly impacting our environment and society. The scale of retrofit work needed for the 27 million domestic UK dwellings presents a substantial opportunity to enhance capacity and competence in the construction workforce. Research Associate from Cambridge University's Laing O'Rourke Centre Tercia Jansen Van Vuuren and the People & Skills workstream of the Construction Leadership Council have released a report that outlines a framework for defining competence in the retrofit sector. This publication is a testament to the extensive efforts underway across the industry to facilitate the delivery of domestic retrofit.  

About the report 

The report presents a consistent framework of the core overarching knowledge, skills and behaviours required to deliver effective retrofit of homes at scale, both in retrofit-specific roles and associated roles in the industry. The work presented in this report takes the industry a step forward by defining competency in retrofitting and meeting the requirements of the new building safety rules. The competence statements can be used to support the development of competence frameworks for specific occupations involved in retrofit work. They also support the development of training and education that equips the workforce for the future, both in training new entrants and upskilling the existing workforce. 

Going forward 

The work undertaken to produce this report highlights the value of the Construction Leadership Council's convening power in drawing together work across the industry and working towards the common goal of building a competent workforce. Achieving this goal requires that the competence statements presented in the report are now implemented through both industry 'pull' – for example, introducing minimum requirements and standards of competence in procurement – and education and training 'push' – reviewing curriculum and training course content to ensure that these equip candidates with what is needed in the industry. We encourage all stakeholders involved in the retrofit sector to review the recommendations made in the report for embedding competence and to take action to deliver the changes needed. 

Download the report. 

About the Construction Leadership Council:  The CLC’s mission is to provide sector leadership to the construction industry. The expanded CLC has twelve workstreams that operate collaboratively to address the sector's biggest issues. Workstreams include skills and inclusion, building safety, Net Zero, and business models. The CLC is co-chaired by the Minister for Business and Industry, Alan Mak, and Mark Reynolds, Mace Group Chairman and Chief Executive.