Greening Skills and Sustainability: Educating the Future Workforce

CFA Training Manager, Shaun Wadsworth, describes the role of the training sector in educating the contract flooring workforce of today and tomorrow about the part they need to play in achieving Net Zero Carbon.

Half of the world’s population is 30 years old or younger, and this figure is expected to reach 57 per cent by the end of 2030 (according to a United Nations report published in 2015), the largest generation of young people in history. Highlighting the importance of developing green skills for our future generations is key to ensure a transition to a greener and more sustainable world where everyone – including young people – benefit equality.

Green skills apply in many professional settings, including construction, and more specifically commercial flooring. They draw on a wider range of knowledge, values, and attitudes towards sustainable decision-making at work and in life. Although green skills and competencies are relevant for people of all ages, they are of greater importance for younger people entering the industry over the next decade and beyond, who can contribute towards the transitions and evolutions in materials and processes over a longer period of time. And let’s be clear there is a HUGE transition to be made that is as much a cultural change as it is a practical and operational one. For both these elements training will be incredibly important.

There is already a wealth of standards and qualifications being developed and delivered by awarding bodies and training providers in the wider construction sector designed with varying levels of impact, scale and influence. It is reported by NOCN Group (one of the largest contributors to training and assessment in construction) that there could be as many as 694,000 ‘green jobs’ in the low carbon and renewable energy sector across England by 2030. For the construction sector there are specific construction qualifications aimed at ‘green skills’ including areas such as Insulation and Building Treatments and retrofit qualifications (designed with industry specialists to align with industry needs and enhance the skills and knowledge required for retrofitting).

But how does all of this affect the next generation of floorlayer and the flooring industry? It started with the revision and reform of Apprenticeship Standards and Occupations Standards that have been completed in the past two years. These are two areas where CFA and its members are already heavily involved. Both the news versions of the Floorlaying Apprenticeship Standard and The National Occupation Standards for Floorlaying include upgrades in areas such as green skills, digitisation and productivity improvements within the training and assessment plans. This means topics such as sustainable waste disposal, digital communication, climate change, sustainability regulation, carbon footprint and more, must be covered at apprentice level and assessed for achievement.

This year the CFA has also released additional guidance regarding underfloor heating (UFH) and specifically how legislation relating to heat source pumps is likely to affect our industry and the whole supply chain. UFH is probably the main solution to the recommendation in the Future Building Standards (developed as the Future Homes Standard) which will mean that traditional boilers will be replaced by heat pumps for all new build homes. This will have a huge impact on how flooring is installed in the future and will be a key learning point for new entrants into the flooring sector who will be tasked with working on new sites where UFH is the primary heat source for a home or building.

All of the above will inevitably see more focus on floorlaying apprentices and new entrants having a much wider understanding of their commitment to sustainability, along with more dedicated positions, qualifications and apprenticeships established specifically for ‘green skills’. It is also safe to assume that there will be a rise in educating those in industry both young and old on the perils of climate change, and the need for everyone to make positive change.

CFA, and our training arm FITA, will continue to lead the challenge and deliver best practice for those we work with. This is another reason to look for the CFA logo when appointing your supply chain partners, as CFA members have access to a wealth of knowledge and training opportunities.

To find out more about sustainable developments in the flooring sector, visit the CFA Guide to Sustainability today.