New UK District Heating Apprenticeship set to launch in Birmingham, fuelling green job growth in the West Midlands

The UK’s first Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship has been approved by IfATE and is ready to be delivered nationwide, with SCCB set to welcome the first intake of apprentices in April 2025. This first-of-a-kind apprenticeship provides the opportunity for a generation of young people to work in the district heating sector, equipping them with essential skills to meet the industry’s growing demands, and creating a wave of new green jobs.

The independent Climate Change Committee has estimated that 18% of UK heat demand will need to come from heat networks by 2050. This means that by 2050, every major town and city is expected to need heat networks, requiring over £100bn of private investment and creating 290k new jobs. This includes Birmingham, within which the Government has identified several potential ‘heat network zones’, where the technology is expected to provide low carbon heat at lowest cost.

The Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship is a vital first step in Birmingham’s journey to decarbonising heat and growing the local economy. The qualification will guarantee that local people benefit from the growth of heat networks both in the West Midlands and beyond, securing high quality jobs and building skills that they can use for the rest of their careers.

This 3-year, NVQ-equivalent apprenticeship was developed by an industry-led Trailblazer Group, chaired by Toby Powell, Operations Director at Hemiko, a leading heat network investor and operator. Hemiko formed the group with the aim of attracting fresh talent into the rapidly growing heat network industry, enhancing the knowledge and skill base of those maintaining heat networks across the UK, and expanding opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds to enter the sector.

IfATE is an Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Education who work with employers to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships and technical qualifications. IfATE’s Trailblazer groups are groups of employers and other stakeholders that develop, review, and revise IfATE’s technical education products, including the Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group.

The Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship Trailblazer Group included representatives from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), and IfATE, as well as industry partners such as SSCB, Bring Energy, E.ON, Metropolitan, HeatWeb, Vattenfall, SSE, Vital Energi, Switch2, Ramboll, and HeatNet, among others.

The first intake of apprentices is expected to begin in April 2025 at SCCB, who played an important role in the Trailblazer Group. As the largest general further education college in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area, delivering study programmes to over 12,000 students across the city and beyond, SCCB is well-positioned to lead the UK in delivering this new qualification. SCCB is currently accepting expressions of interest for the Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship programme.

The apprenticeship will also be available nationally, allowing other colleges and training centres across the UK to participate. Once rolled out nationally, the apprenticeship programme will support local employment, provide opportunities for young people, and drive economic growth across all towns and cities undergoing large-scale heat decarbonisation.

The qualification, which has been endorsed by IMechE, will be open to people over the age of 16 with no prior industry experience, as well as workers wanting to retrain and join the heat network industry. The course has been designed to provide structured learning for students. 

Core modules will focus on mechanical, electrical, and controls principles, maintenance strategies, and safe working practices. The programme will teach apprentices how to inspect, clean, and maintain district heating plant equipment, as well as respond to energy outages. Apprentices can then specialise as a Residential Maintenance Technician or Plant Maintenance Technician, with plans to develop additional specialisms soon. 

Analysis by PWC identified a green skills gap of around 200,000 workers in the UK, and with 20% of transferable skilled workers from the oil and gas sector set to retire by 2030, there is a pressing need to attract younger talent to the sector. The 2020 Heat Network Skills Review also identified skills gaps in the sector, which will only become more acute as the industry grows. Through the Heat Network Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship, the West Midlands is poised to meet this challenge head-on and lead the UK in delivering the green workforce of tomorrow.

Equipping the current and future workforce with green skills and enabling them to take advantage of opportunities within a smart, decarbonised energy system is also a key element of the WMCA’s new Regional Energy Strategy. The Strategy has been developed in collaboration with the private and community sectors through the Energy Capital Partnership, recognising the vital role of business and communities in achieving the regions ambitions.

Toby Powell, Chair of the Trailblazer Group and Operations Director at Hemiko, said: “The approval of the Heat Network Maintenance Technician is a significant milestone for the UK heat networks sector. This is a first-of-a-kind opportunity for fresh talent to join a growing industry that will play a pivotal role in the net zero transition. Alongside tackling the UK’s green skills gap, programmes such as this will also improve the level of service that the sector can deliver to our customers. I would like to offer my sincere gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the success of this qualification and wish all the best to future apprentices.”

Cllr Sharon, Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “This is great news, I am passionate about increasing apprenticeship opportunities to create new exciting job opportunities in this field. The city council has ambitious Route to Zero plans but we can't do it on our own; we need the whole city and region to work together. The next generation is going to be the most affected by the climate emergency so it is vital that our young people who want a career in this area are appropriately trained and supported to meet the new, green industry standards.”

Mike Hopkins MBE, Principal of South & City College Birmingham, said: “South & City College Birmingham is very proud and pleased to be a key part of the development of the new Heat Network Technician Apprenticeship. This is this is an essential new and innovative apprenticeship standard and will have a major impact on the industry and on the recruitment, employment and training of the specialist staff that are and will be needed.  As a college we are always responsive to industry changes and the development of this standard was vital to ensuring that we were at the forefront of meeting the needs of the sector. We are really proud and excited to be the first college to deliver this new programme.”

An IfATE spokesperson said “We were delighted to have been able to support employers to develop this apprenticeship, which will help people train and develop their skills for the green jobs of the future. Thank you to all the employers who have been involved and we look forward to seeing the first intake of apprentices in action!”