Funding will help businesses train staff on solar technologies

Businesses in London can now apply for grants of up to £1,000 to train their employees on solar technologies. 

This is part of the ‘Solar Skills London’ scheme which was launched last year by Solar Energy UK and the Mayor of London. 

The initiative includes a series of workshops for future solar sector trainees and the creation of a placement programme for them with businesses in the industry.

There are five elements to the support that is being provided:

• The development of a dedicated solar PV pathway and learner/apprenticeship training curriculum
• A series of boot camp-style introductory training workshops for potential new entrants to the sector
• The creation of a specialist pilot learner/apprenticeship placement programme for solar businesses
• A new online solar-energy training and careers hub for the capital
• A targeted grants scheme to deliver quality training to 100 solar installers in London
  London Solar Supply Chain Fund

The Mayor of London is providing a further £150,000 funding for projects to support the solar supply chain and help to grow the market for solar.

This funding will build on the success of Solar Skills London and help to increase the number of organisations with the skills and qualifications to be able to install solar in London.

Companies interested in taking part can apply on the Solar Energy UK website until January 14. 

In related news, a report launched by Solar Energy UK found that installing solar systems can increase house values by nearly £2,000 while saving nearly a third on the average annual energy bill.