Friday 20 July 2012
University support to expand skills in renewable energy sector
Training in Electrical benefited from the support of a university wind power expert
A sustainable design project at Nottingham Trent University is supporting a new business to expand skills in the renewable energy sector through unique training courses for wind, hydro and solar energy installers.
The University's Future Factory team has been helping Rob and Lynsey Hurley to launch their business, Training in Electrical, and gain industry accreditation. They have also worked with them to develop a smartphone and tablet app to allow students to access course information in manageable chunks and to practise revision papers electronically.
The business has now become the only Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) approved electrical and renewable training provider in the Midlands and has also been accredited by both City and Guilds and Logic Certification, one of the UK Building Services Engineering industries foremost certification bodies.
Debra Easter, Future Factory project manager, said: "The number of courses at present is very limited, most only focus on solar energy and so they have broadened the spectrum by developing training courses to increase skills in the wind, hydro and solar energy sectors.
"To help them do this, we put them in touch with a University expert in wind power who was able to ensure that they have the most up to date training materials and are addressing areas where skills are lacking.
"The app also makes the business much more sustainable and means they can provide a wealth of information without churning out lots of paper."
Rob Hurley, co-founder of Training in Electrical, said: "The renewable energy sector is rapidly growing and support from the Future Factory team, along with access to University expertise, helped us to focus our business on the right areas and ensure that our courses fulfil industry needs."
Training in Electrical was recently presented with a plaque from Logic Certification for becoming the first Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) Centre. It was presented by Tracy Harker, Logic's business development manager, at Nottingham Trent University.
Future Factory is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It supports small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) in the East Midlands to become more sustainable in a variety of ways. The project offers workshops and events, one-to-one business mentoring and customised research. It connects small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to experts in their field to develop specialised projects. It can also help with funding towards the cost of employing a recent graduate for up to one year. For further information, visit the Future Factory website.
Notes to editors:
Press enquiries please contact Helen Breese, Press Officer, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8751 or via email, or Therese Easom, Press and Internal Communications Manager, on telephone +44 (0)115 848 8774 or via email.
Training in Electrical
Training in Electrical offers an extensive range of electrical courses. All the electrical qualifications offered are recognised by NICEIC, ECA, NAPIT and Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). All electrical courses are delivered by highly skilled, experienced electrical staff who have an enormous wealth of practical knowledge and qualifications in the electrotechnical industry.
Visit the Training in Electrical website or telephone 08450 344 322. The Training in Electrical Android phone app can be downloaded for free from Google Play.
