OEA opens its doors in Cambridgeshire

OEA has opened a new centre in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, to encourage tradespeople to upskill in renewable energy as well as attract more young people into a career in the trades.

The skills centre has a wide range of training courses, assessments, and qualifications across gas, electrical, plumbing, oil, and renewable energy skills.

The academy is run in partnership with Reed Environment, which aims to train a green workforce to help the UK meet its net-zero targets

OEA already provides accreditation to trade workers from the original academy in Oxford. Its founder Dave Bendell says: “The industry urgently needs a pipeline of new and accredited talent if it is to keep up with demand. OEA is working to address this and promote the need for green skills, and to be supporting businesses locally.

“Our Energy Academies are accredited end-point assessment centres which means that learning and assessment can be completed in the same place.”

Both centres provide approved training for gas, electrical, renewable energy, solid fuel and oil as well as NVQ Level 2 & 3 in Plumbing and Gas.