Training for the Green Deal is available but the take up has been slow, the Green Deal could be highly beneficial for the planet and saving householders money but the process for firms wishing to become Green Deal accredited is far from straight forward so they need to be sure it worth their while. The UK is reasonably well provided for when it comes to basics such as loft insulation but the Green Deal paves the way for more sophisticated technologies such as solar panels and smart controls for heating. The more complex the technology the more likely a rise in demand will outstrip a relatively small skills base and firms bringing in skills from the likes of Germany and Norway, a missed chance for the UK to benefit.
Changes made by the government to feed-in-tariffs for solar panel electricity has left many people with distrust, people built a business on the numbers which the government then changed. If the Green Deal is to succeed the government will have to work hard to restore confidence and convince firms that it will be worth investing in skills. £14bn is the governments own estimate for the investment needed over the next 10 years but one which would show immediate results for energy efficiency. In lowering the utility bill of the UK the Green Deal will also have contributed to energy security and provided employment. The UK now has a great training infrastructure to create skills needed for the Green Deal and investment in this area could give a boost to the wider economy, however it must get started on the training of the skills needed with immediate effect.
