Aira Opens London Training Academy for Heat Pump Installers
Aira has opened its first London training academy in Crayford, aiming to upskill the UK workforce for heat pump installation. Clean energy-tech company Aira has opened its Aira Academy and hub in Crayford, South London. This 1300m2 facility will train Aira’s sales team, designers, installers, and electricians involved in heat pump deployments.
Aira aims to train thousands of clean energy-tech experts from London to the Midlands, and Cornwall to Norfolk, over the next decade. According to Daniel Francis, Member of Parliament for Bexleyheath and Crayford, the academy will contribute to the local economy and aid in transitioning homes to low-carbon heating.
The academy opening forms part of Aira’s £300 million UK investment, with a commitment to creating 8,000 new jobs over the next decade to establish market leadership. According to Georgia Laws, Crayford Aira Academy Manager, the facility will provide training to individuals "with no prior experience, or those at the start of their career," in a bid to expand the green skills workforce.
The initiative responds to market research indicating that 52% of Londoners are likely to install a heat pump when upgrading their current system, with 88% of proposed developments in the capital incorporating the technology, according to the Greater London Authority’s latest Energy Planning Monitoring Report.
The new academy signifies Aira's focus on workforce development to meet anticipated demand.
