Collaborating on Green Skills: A framework to increase capacity in retrofit for social housing

This report 'Collaborating on Green Skills' was launched in the House of Commons on 1 September 2025 sponsored by Margaret Mullane MP, it was written by Sureserve. Sureserve provide trusted high-quality solutions that focus on energy efficiency to create warm, safe and compliant homes. It has a nationwide reach, regional and local relationships, as a trusted partner of housing associations, local authorities and residents for compliance and energy services.

The UK’s social housing sector faces a critical skills shortage as it works toward ambitious retrofit targets, with an estimated 500,000 new entrants needed by 2030. Skills gaps across the wider construction industry are already causing delays, higher costs, and poor-quality outcomes that affect residents’ health and lead to costly remediation. Sureserve’s Healthy Homes and Retrofit Model sets out a framework to support decarbonisation while tackling fuel poverty and improving health outcomes. The organisation calls for collaboration between housing providers, training bodies, and government to close the “green skills” gap and ensure a trained, high-quality workforce.

The report highlights systemic barriers that have stalled progress, including an ageing workforce, outdated qualifications, fragmented policy, and a lack of standardised training. While frameworks like PAS 2035 have introduced quality-assured roles, the capacity to train and accredit workers at scale remains underdeveloped. At the same time, policy uncertainty limits employer investment in training. However, this skills challenge is also a major opportunity: if addressed through coordinated strategy and investment, it could unlock economic growth, create rewarding careers, and help the UK meet its housing and climate goals.

To achieve this, in the report Sureserve proposes a comprehensive national retrofit workforce strategy, supported by organisations such as Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs. Their recommendations include mandatory qualifications, stronger accreditation pathways, regional training partnerships, mid-career retraining, and targeted support for a more diverse workforce. The Healthy Homes and Retrofit Model promotes community-based recruitment, local employment, and sustainable career pathways. Sureserve itself is investing heavily in apprenticeships, partnerships, and new training programmes, and is calling on stakeholders across government and industry to collaborate in building a capable, future-ready retrofit workforce.

For the full report visit https://www.sureserve.co.uk/media/c11b2wtl/sureserve-green-skills-report.pdf

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings.

• Call for support in green electrical apprentice shortfall.
• Electrical sector skills recharge at the House of Commons, as skills shortage bites.
• ECA articles.
• Recharging Electrical Skills Charter.
• ECA helps Welsh Government consultation on Net Zero Skills.
• Industry responds to Prime Ministers Net Zero policy announcement.
• Net zero building higher education and the skills of the future.
• Net zero by 2050.
• Net Zero not possible without right skills.
• National Infrastructure Plan for Skills.
• National vocational qualification.
• Order books fill but skills shortages worry contractors.
• Payments for recruiting new apprentices.
• Recharging Electrical Skills Charter.
• Recruiting and retaining talent in the construction industry.
• Skilled workforce unable to meet net zero ambitions.
• Skills.
• Skills shortage.
• Skilled workforce unable to meet net zero ambitions.
• Skills shortage.
• Solar energy workforce goals and the ECA Charter to recharge electrical skills