Saint-Gobain’s newest Technical Academy in Flitwick, Bedfordshire received a visit from Department for Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Green Deal Communities team, where delegates from the Government department were updated on the latest solid wall insulation systems and solutions.
During their visit to the Technical Academy, opened earlier this year at the Weber site in Flitwick, members of DECC observed demonstrations and installations of internal and external wall insulation, including innovative systems from British Gypsum, Celotex, Isover and Weber.
Part of a network of training facilities, the Saint-Gobain Technical Academies are designed to help address the skills shortage in the construction industry, as well as forming a crucial part of the work Saint-Gobain is undertaking to tackle the challenge to improve the existing housing stock by providing technical training and raising awareness of innovative building solutions.
Mark Weaver, Project Director for Retrofit at Saint-Gobain, said: “It is always encouraging to receive a visit from any trade body, Government department or interested party, so we were obviously pleased to welcome members of DECC’s Green Deal Communities team.
“The systems we develop and manufacture are important for demonstrating how measures, such as wall insulation, form part of a whole house retrofit solution that can enable homeowners and landlords make homes more energy efficient and comfortable places to live in.
"We have made significant investment in our training infrastructure and the message we are keen to convey, and one that DECC is supportive of, is that even the most innovative systems are only truly effective if they are installed correctly. Part of the Saint-Gobain Technical Academy’s role is to ensure that new and existing trade professionals are of the highest calibre, trained on innovative and sustainable systems and with the opportunity to up-skill to technologies developed by Saint-Gobain.
"Saint-Gobain are supplying to a number of the Green Deal Communities schemes and can deliver training and service support to ensure that the highest quality workmanship is achieved. The day was informative for both parties and demonstrates the collaborative approach to driving the energy efficiency agenda with Government and industry working together.”