Building confidence in the UK’s heat pump workforce by starting at home

The shift to low-carbon heating is one of the UK’s most urgent and complex challenges, and it is increasingly being driven by collaboration across the industry. Organisations are coming together not just to set targets, but to actively enable the workforce needed to deliver them.

One example is the Nesta Start at Home initiative, a program designed to give heating technicians the practical, hands-on experience required to install heat pumps with confidence.

As a leading registration body of heating technicians, particularly those working with oil and renewable technologies, OFTEC can play a significant role in supporting this workforce transition. With the UK needing tens of thousands of additional skilled installers to meet the expected future heat pump targets, the challenge is not just training technicians but ensuring they feel confident entering the market.

One key issue is that many qualified technicians hesitate to take on heat pump installations due to a lack of real-world experience.

The Start at Home initiative directly addresses this gap by:

• Providing genuine, hands-on heat pump installation experience, usually within a technician’s own home.
• Removing financial barriers through funded equipment.
• Accelerating technicians’ confidence and entry into the heat pump market.

According to a Nesta survey, after taking part in the Start at Home scheme technicians in the project reported increased confidence in heat pumps, especially those who installed one in their own home.

By supporting initiatives like Start at Home, OFTEC is helping to overcome one of the most significant obstacles in the transition to low-carbon heating, the fear of that crucial first installation.

Find out more here https://www.startathome.org.uk/

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