Skyline Skills Hub will showcase best practices for green skills

A new hub dedicated to addressing the green skills gap in London’s commercial built environment has been launched.

The Skyline Skills Hub is a platform that will enable the Square Mile’s growing workforce to meet the challenges of decarbonising the City. It has been produced by the City of London Corporation’s Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce, which CITB is proud to be a part of.

The Hub will showcase the best practice for sustainable green skills. It will also enable workers, employers and policy makers across the sector to attract, upskill, reskill and diversify the people needed to ensure the delivery of the sustainable buildings for the future.

CITB has supported in the development of the new Hub, providing links to Go Construct and Talentview Construction resources and to New Entrant Support Team advisors.

In addition, visitors can access the CITB Net Zero Action Plan, Go Construct STEM Ambassadors, Employer Networks information, and the FIR (Fairness, Inclusion and Respect) Toolkit. The Skills Centre’s work delivering Onsite Experience Hubs via the CITB commission and broader resources via the Supply Chain Sustainability School are also available.

Central London urgently needs a larger skilled workforce to decarbonise its commercial buildings, to achieve the City Corporation’s Net Zero targets by 2040 and retain its world leading financial and professional services sector. An estimated 26,000 additional built environment workers will be needed in Greater London by 2026 to achieve these sustainability goals.

Recognising this, the City of London Corporation launched the Skills for a Sustainable Skyline Taskforce in 2022. This collaboration aims to boost the supply of skilled workers for sustainable buildings by bringing together employers, training providers and industry bodies from across the commercial built environment sector, as well as national and local government.

Buildings are responsible for nearly 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 76% of emissions in London alone. Retrofitting older buildings has become critical to the decarbonisation agenda, with 95% of emissions from the built environment over the next 30 years expected to come from existing buildings.

Through innovative resources and a commitment to sustainability, the Skyline Skills Hub will drive the transformation necessary to secure London’s global leadership in sustainable commercial property. The Hub will offer free access to resources from across the built environment sector, including careers guides, case studies and research such as the Skyline Skills Recommendations Report.

By facilitating easy access to green skills information, the Hub will equip the workforce, policy makers and new entrants with the sustainable green skills needed to address the skills gap. The Hub will also facilitate collaboration between businesses, training providers, and government to realise these objectives.

Tim Balcon, Chief Executive of CITB, said: “I was proud to be at the launch of the Skyline Skills Hub. This new website is dedicated to showcasing and signposting best practices for green skills across Central London’s commercial built environment.

“This initiative is vital as we work towards a sustainable future in construction, ensuring that our workforce is equipped with the necessary skills to meet the challenges of tomorrow. I look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to drive a greener, more sustainable London together.”

Visit the Skyline Skills Hub here