Open Letter to Cabinet Secretary for Housing Mairi McAllan
Support Retrofit Training for a Greener Scotland
We are writing to urge the Scottish Government to make immediate investment in funded training for energy retrofit skills in Scotland.
Scotland has committed to ambitious climate targets, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045. A cornerstone of this effort must be the decarbonisation of our buildings—many of which are old, leaky, and energy inefficient.
Retrofitting homes and buildings with insulation, ventilation, low-carbon heating, and other energy efficiency measures is essential to achieving our climate goals, reducing fuel poverty, and improving public health.
However, right now, Scotland lacks one of the most fundamental ingredients for success: a large enough skilled, retrofit-ready workforce.
At present, there is no dedicated Scottish Government funding to support training for retrofit skills—despite the clear and growing need for thousands of trained professionals, including builders, heating engineers, architects, surveyors, insulation installers, and more. Colleges, training providers, and employers across the country are ready to deliver these skills—but they need support.
Meanwhile, England is investing heavily in this area. The UK Government has already committed millions of pounds through the Home Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition, Skills Bootcamps, and other funding streams to ensure the workforce is equipped to deliver retrofit at scale. This funding is being used to support free or subsidised training for tradespeople and professionals alike.
Scotland, by comparison, is now falling behind. Without similar investment here, we risk:
A shortage of skilled workers to meet demand,
Delays in meeting climate and housing targets,
Loss of job opportunities to other parts of the UK,
Missed economic and social benefits of a low-carbon building sector.
This is not just about climate—it is about a Just Transition. With the right investment, retrofit can create high-quality, secure, and future-proof jobs across Scotland—from the Borders to the Highlands, in rural and urban areas alike.
We therefore urge the Scottish Government to:
Commit funding for retrofit training and workforce development as part of its climate and housing programmes,
Work with colleges, training providers, local authorities, professional bodies and industry to scale up delivery rapidly,
Ensure access to training for those currently underrepresented in the construction workforce, including women and young people,
Align training funding with the delivery of area-based retrofit schemes.
This is a time for leadership. The workforce is willing. The need is urgent. The funding must now follow.
We hope you will support a call for publicly funded retrofit training as a key pillar of Scotland’s net zero and economic strategy.
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Undersigned by following organisations in full support