Green Business Skills Forum
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We're working with business, community, government and the education sector in the Heads of the Valleys to tackle the green skills agenda.
Business in the Community Wales is working with Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Programme to look at the green skills gap in the region.
As part of the programme, we established a Green Business Skills Forum in March 2010 to specifically look at the green skills agenda for the Heads of the Valleys. Thirty-five businesses including international corporates to indigenous SMEs from a range of industries are now active members of this growing network.
An area of chronic deprivation, the scheme forms part of the Welsh Assembly Government's aspiration to create a Low Carbon Zone in the Heads of the Valleys.
The Green Business Skills Forum is currently chaired by Steve Mulligan, Rockwool.
Find out more
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Our areas of activity
Funding - research, endorsed by industry, into how many sustainable jobs could be created as the new green economy starts to become a reality
Private Equity – investigation into the opportunities for private equity to be attracted to Wales for ‘bundled’ opportunities around renewables based on the Feed-in-Tariffs
Curriculum - engagement with the education and training sectors to identify and create curricula that provide the right green skills to the market as the jobs become available
Seeing is Believing - establishing links between businesses and Pen Y Dre High School and the Neighbourhood Learning Centre in Merthyr Tydfil
Societal Impact – research into how job creation in an area of chronic deprivation impacts wider society by the creation of indirect jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities and how that, in turn, impacts on wider society
Procurement - identifying the opportunities for creativity and innovation in tenders for businesses who want to create a green economy
Forum Members
Businesses from a cross range of industries are represented on the forum including British Gas, Rockwool, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water. A full list of forum members can be downloaded in the following link:
Green Business Skills Forum - Members 2010.pdf (130 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.bitc.org.uk/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif)
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New Publication - Funding for Energy Efficient Homes
The Green Business Skills Forum has produced a publication that provides an overview to Welsh social housing providers and their suppliers of the principal funding mechanisms in chronological order. Its aim is to encourage information sharing between partners.
Its aim is to encourage information sharing between partners.
Download the latest edition: Funding Energy Efficient Homes (March 2012) (791 kb)
Latest News
Forum Members Meet Minister
Members of the Green Business Skills Forum met with the Minister for Environment Sustainability and Housing and the Deputy Minister for Housing and Regeneration to outline the importance of green skills in helping Wales through its economic recovery.
Read more about this meeting
Our mentoring project with a Merthyr High School
Our members are working on a mentoring project with GCSE pupils from Pen Y Dre High School. We recently interviewed Graham Edwards, Chief Executive of Wales & West Utilities and Assistant Head Teacher, John Davies to find out what they think about the programme and you can view our YouTube video here or read more about the mentoring programme here.
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Videos: Hear what our members have to say about Green Skills
We've spoken to our Green Business Skills Forum members to find out why Green Skills are important to their business and what they see as the challenges and opportunities for working with Business in the Community on this agenda:
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Background to the Forum
The HOV programme will attract millions of pounds in investment over the next 15 years. The aim of the programme is not only to create a low carbon zone, but to stimulate the local economy and create local jobs. One example is the ARBED scheme which will improve the energy efficiency of social housing through retrofitting low carbon technology. This scheme alone will create up to 1,600 'green skilled' jobs - but in order to achieve regeneration, local people must be employed. What is unique about the HOV programme is that green skills are also being looked at in terms of the wider social benefit and impact.
Leading the programme for Business in the Community is Cerys Ponting, who has been seconded from Cardiff Unversity's BRASS department.
“HOV is a huge regeneration programme and offers some amazing opportunities for businesses to grow and diversify, with it creating jobs and opportunities for local people. But in order for this programme to succeed in meeting long term social objectives and for business to develop sustainably themselves, addressing this skills gap is vital."
View Keith Edwards, Chartered Institute of Housing
