Quantum Group

Great day at the EEA Skills and Training Conference & Exhibition at the Institute of Directors, Westminster. A packed agenda brought together key voices shaping skills development across the energy efficiency sector, from training standards and green skills advisory work to a panel on workforce trends and training opportunities. Proud to see Quantum's Maria Gonella on the panel alongside @jane thomas (Women In Retrofit Network), Catherine Garrido (Quidos), Julie Dunn (Aston Group), Yasmin I. (Plug me in), Ian Rippin (MCS), Luke Moss (Green Skills Advisory Panel (GSAP) & Exeter College), Graham Waterson (Buckinghamshire College Group) and Tim Weston (South Bank Colleges) working through the real challenges of building the skilled workforce our industry needs. The sector is short of qualified, experienced people, and that shortage is the single biggest brake on the retrofit rollout. Closing it means training providers, certification bodies and employers actually working together, which is exactly what a room like this is for. Thanks to Gary Braybrooke and the Energy Efficiency Association CIC team for pulling it together. #energyefficiency #retrofit #netzero #thequantumgroup #uknetzero #cleanenergy #greenskills

On 29th June, Jade from Quantum spoke at a careers day at The Charter School North Dulwich speaking to two groups of Year 8 and 9 students about the retrofit industry and the careers within it.   Some students were new to the topic, so Jade used our live Eco House to work through the basics, insulation, R values, air source heat pumps, before moving on to career pathways.   The session was interactive throughout: students talked about the kind of work they enjoyed, which opened up a great conversation about how many different roles it takes to deliver a retrofit project, not just installers.   One moment stuck with us. When we asked about apprenticeships, only two students across both classes knew what one was. That says everything about why these routes need far more visibility at school level, and why days like this matter.   The students asked brilliant questions, scored top marks on the quiz, and left knowing more about clean energy than when they walked in. Fittingly, the classroom looked out onto solar panels on one of the school's own buildings, a live retrofit right on the doorstep.   Our thanks to Daikin UK for making the day possible.   #greenskills #retrofit #apprenticeships #cleanenergy #UKnetzero #thequantumgroup #cleanenergy

Net Zero Week (4–10 July) is a national awareness campaign bringing together education, industry and government to highlight progress towards a low carbon future, and the skills needed to get there.   For colleges, it's a useful moment to put green skills provision in front of the people who need to see it. That can mean showcasing the courses and facilities already in place, running events, workshops or guest speakers to get learners involved, connecting with local employers and industry partners, and being clear with students about the career pathways that low carbon and sustainable industries actually offer.   The skills shortage in low carbon heating and retrofit is real, and it won't close on its own. Weeks like this matter because they turn a national target into something local and tangible: a course a student can enrol on, a facility they can train in, an employer they can meet.   At Quantum Training, we're proud to support colleges in delivering the hands-on, industry-relevant training environments that bring these skills to life.   Read more about Net Zero Week and how to take part: https://lnkd.in/eyTZ9hkT   #netzeroweek #retrofit #furthereducation #thequantumgroup #uknetzero #cleanenergy #greenskills

A day well spent in beautiful Exeter. On Friday morning, Maria and Jade drove down to attend a Green Skills Advisory Panel board meeting, discussing the state of the nation on green skills and the role of international green skills partnerships in building the workforce we need. We also worked through recommendations to DESNZ on skills, CETECs and apprenticeship units in renewables, the practical building blocks that will help more people train and qualify in low carbon technologies. In the evening, we were invited to Exeter College's annual Apprenticeship Awards dinner. It was genuinely inspiring to see how proud the winners were, across every kind of industry. This is a real reminder of how impactful the apprenticeship route is as a way to get qualified and build a career. Days like this bring the whole sector into one room: education, industry and government, all working towards the same goal. That's how progress gets made. Huge thanks to everyone who made it such a valuable day. Luke Moss, Mike Blakeley, Charlene Wall, Nick Miles, Graham Hasting-Evans, Giles Bradford, Paul Brown MCGI MIoL, Maria Gonella, Jade Husson, Hugh Stronge. NOCN Group, EWI Pro, Exeter College, Swifix Ltd, Bradfords Building Supplies Ltd. #GreenSkills #Apprenticeships #Renewables #NetZero #CleanEnergy #FurtherEducation #TheQuantumGroup

Really proud to have been part of the first CETEC Clean Energy Working Group this week, hosted by South Bank Colleges. The session brought together education, industry and government in one room: DESNZ, the GLA, NOCN, representation for Bucks College Group and MCS, New City College, Hemiko and South Bank Technical Colleges among them, all working towards the same goal: accelerating uptake of the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship and building a stronger talent pipeline for clean energy careers across London. We covered real ground against the agenda, from future skills demand and employer confidence, through to career pathways and how we raise the profile of clean energy careers with young people, parents and schools. A few of the actions we're genuinely excited to see develop: • A focus group of young people, so we're designing pathways with them, not just for them • NOCN and sector-neutral career pathway mapping • Support for existing heating and plumbing learners, to widen the pipeline into clean energy and • Building a more joined-up communications strategy to raise awareness of opportunities across the sector Huge thanks to Tim Weston for hosting, and to everyone who gave their time, insight and energy to the discussion: Craig Hanlon-Smith Darren Booth, Tyron Wain, James Lee, Mark Priest, Nathan Morris, Toby Powell, Kathy McCormack, Hazel M., Kelly Ambler, Sam Ralph and Shazi Giner This cannot be another conversation that ends in a meeting room. If we are serious about delivering the UK’s clean energy transition, education, industry and government must work together to create clear pathways that allow young people to build careers they can be proud of - whilst giving employers the confidence and support needed to invest in the next generation workforce. #CleanEnergy #LowCarbonHeating #Apprenticeships #GreenSkills #FurtherEducation #WorkforceDevelopment #CETEC #Quantumgroup #NetZero

A training bay doesn't just appear. Before students start their learning in our bays, there's a lot of behind the scenes work most people never see. Here's a regular day with our team. • Billy, one of our engineers, jet-washing a site clean after an installation. • Masoud Yazdimamaghani (MEng, MIB), our design engineer deep in Revit, customising our training bays for a new installation. • The empty frames of our demonstration units before main equipment is installed. • Jade Husson struggling to pose for the camera while she speaks to colleges and partners across the UK. • Elizabeth Howard hard at work developing practical curriculum units to match our training bays. • Ismet loading the van, ready for delivery to a college across the country. • Bellinda, our customer service manager, keeping suppliers, schedules and deliveries all moving so nothing slips through the cracks. • Maria Gonella driving the delivery van to pump up the tyres. No job too small, no one above it. Different jobs, different hands, all working towards one mission: building the training facilities that equip the UK's green workforce. This is the work behind the work. Curious what goes into building a Green Skills facility at your college? Drop us a DM or visit: https://lnkd.in/gPB8bhvc

We're delighted to share that our Managing Partner, Maria Gonella, will be speaking at the Energy Efficiency Association CIC Skills & Training Conference & Exhibition 2026 on 2nd July at the Institute of Directors, London.   Maria will join an all-female plenary panel at 1:30pm alongside Jane Thomas (WinR CIC), Catherine Garrido (Quidos), Julie Dunn (Aston Group) and Yasmin I. (Plug me in), exploring key workforce trends, challenges and training opportunities in the energy efficiency sector.   We also have 30 complimentary tickets available for colleagues who'd like to attend. Places are first come, first served - if you're interested, please get in touch with Gary Braybrooke at gary@energyefficiencyassociation.co.uk to register.   The full agenda and event details are here: https://lnkd.in/e9EsEgUP   Date: 2nd July 2026, 9:30am - 3:30pm Venue: Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London   Looking forward to also seeing: Kenneth Campbell, Stella McManus Ian Rippin, Peter Burnett, Luke Moss, Gary Braybrooke, Tony Mooney    #EnergyEfficiency #GreenSkills #NetZero #QuantumTraining #EEA2026

Our colleague Lucy Carrick attended the BACH British Association of Construction Heads meeting hosted at Leicester College on Friday. It was another valuable opportunity maintain relationships with colleagues and to connect with sector leaders. We heard from NOCN Group on the latest updates across the skills landscape, including discussions around T Levels/CTEs and what these developments mean for colleges. Quantum also had the chance to share a short update on the green skills sector, including the latest policy changes and government direction. This sparked a really engaging discussion on how the education sector can continue to respond to the growing demand for clean energy and sustainability-focused skills. NOCN Group, Leicester College, Darren Roome, Beverley Scarfe, Cliff P., Clare Beevis-Shemilt, Gary M., Matthew Bradshaw, Paul Gregory, Tilgear

Nearly one million young people in the UK are not in education, employment or training.   That's a city bigger than Leeds. Bigger than Glasgow. And it's growing.   The government's new NEET interim report makes for uncomfortable reading. Here are the statistics that stopped us: → 6 in 10 NEET young people have never had a job (up from 4 in 10 in 2005) → 45% report a disability - more than double the figure a decade ago → 84% want to work. The system is failing them. → The estimated annual cost to the country? £125 billion.   Only 1 in 5 are receiving meaningful employment support through the welfare system. This isn't just a statistics problem. It's a human one.   Every learner deserves the opportunity to develop skills, gain confidence and find a pathway into meaningful employment. Education, industry and employers all have a role to play in helping young people take that first step and build careers they can be proud of.     Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eedKWggG #NEET #YouthEmployment #Skills #Training #FurtherEducation #Apprenticeships #GreenSkills #WorkforceDevelopment #QuantumTraining

6,600. That's how many additional plumbers and heating engineers the UK needs by 2030, according to Skills England. Not software developers. Not data scientists. People who can install heat pumps, commission systems, and help deliver the transition to low-carbon homes. But here's the thing... Those 6,600 people aren't out there waiting to be hired. They're sitting in classrooms and college workshops today, or perhaps haven't even started their training journey yet. We spend a lot of time in colleges across the UK, and what we see is encouraging. Learners are genuinely interested in renewable technologies, retrofit, heat pumps, solar and battery storage. The appetite is there. The challenge is creating clear pathways from education into industry, supported by the practical facilities, curriculum, apprenticeships and employers needed to develop the next generation of skilled professionals. If we're serious about meeting the ambitions of the Warm Homes Plan and Future Homes Standard, investing in people is just as important as investing in technology. The question isn't whether we need 6,600 more engineers. It's whether we're doing enough today to help create them. Read more in Skills England's report here: https://lnkd.in/eniXvAkF #GreenSkills #FurtherEducation #Apprenticeships #HeatPumps #Retrofit #NetZero #SkillsForLife #RenewableEnergy #WorkforceDevelopment #QuantumTraining