The Aldershot Half-house

The Half-house is located at Farnborough College of Technology’s construction campus. Students have the space of a cross-section of a house to do practical work, and learn about safey, using sustainable technology and building practices such as electric vehicle charging, heat pumps, battery storage and solar panels.

The college recognises that employer insights and technical knowledge are crucial for effective training programmes, and through close collaboration with local businesses, they are able to created new opportunities for student work experience and employment pathways, with some students already beginning their apprenticeships and work placements.

Principal CEO for the College, Virginia Barrett (OBE), said:

“This marks an exciting new chapter for our College, and we are delighted that the Half-house is already benefiting our students. By investing in modern, sustainable training environments, we are not only empowering our students with the expertise to drive positive change in the industry from the start, but also reinforcing our commitment to sustainability as a core component of our college’s strategy. This facility is more than just an educational tool; it’s about shaping the future of construction and fostering the adoption of greener practices.”

The launch event was held at the new facilities on the college campus where students and apprentices look to pursue a career in industries such as electrical contracting. The college thanked Tomato Energy, the Morgan Sindall Group, and Southern Area Brickwork for their involvement and contributions with the launch attended by local employers, councillors, education professionals, Stuart Smith, President of the Electrical Contractors Association, Alex Baker, local MP, and Mara Makunura, the mayor.

Stuart Smith, President of ECA, was among dignitaries at the launch of the Half-house to teach sustainable building practices.

Stuart Smith, ECA President, said:

“This a fantastic opportunity to inspire and train young engineers of the future in renewable energy. The targets to decarbonise UK power by 2030 will simply not be met without the investment in training of young engineers. This facility is a first-class opportunity to give hands-on experience and knowledge and hopefully inspire these students to become renewable experts. This ties in nicely with the current ECA campaign called ‘Electrifying Our Future’ which highlights the importance of the electrical sector, in the UK’s clean energy transition by 2030.”

Principal CEO for the College, Virginia Barrett (OBE), said:

“This marks an exciting new chapter for our College, and we are delighted that the Half-house is already benefiting our students. By investing in modern, sustainable training environments, we are not only empowering our students with the expertise to drive positive change in the industry from the start, but also reinforcing our commitment to sustainability as a core component of our college’s strategy. This facility is more than just an educational tool; it’s about shaping the future of construction and fostering the adoption of greener practices.”

Electrical Installation student Ella said:

“I think it’s an excellent place for us to learn bringing the real world into college. I think all the new technology within the Half-house is much more exciting and helpful due to it being so focused on each course and giving us real world examples.”

Alex Baker, Member of Parliament for Aldershot and Farnborough, said:

“The UK needs construction expertise more than ever before, particularly because this government is determined to rebuild Britain. If our towns are going to continue to contribute to our national endeavour, we need to build more affordable new homes, expanded infrastructure and modern defence capabilities in our community. So, I was delighted to meet students at the College who are receiving top-quality training in the latest techniques and skills, including modern methods of construction like the Half House. This industry know-how will give local young people the edge in competing for the thousands of well-paid opportunities that we expect to see in Aldershot and Farnborough in the coming years.”

Leader of Rushmoor Borough Council, Gareth Williams, said:

“Rushmoor Borough Council is committed to a target of delivering 600 new homes every year and this facility is a great step forward in training the tradespeople who will deliver this, while giving local people the skills they need to prosper and provide for their families. I was also encouraged to see how these skills will be used to reduce the carbon footprint of the borough through the introduction of new technologies such as heat pumps and solar energy. The team have shown great resourcefulness and determination to deliver this step forward, and I look forward to working with them over the coming years to continue to develop the skills and careers of Rushmoor students.”

This article appears on the ECA news and website as "ECA President opens half house full of sustainable potential" dated 25 March, 2025 with further additions sourced from 'Farnborough College Unveils “Half-house” for Sustainable Construction Training' dated 28 March, 2025.

--ECA

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