Tánaiste announces detail of new green FÁS courses for construction sector

Gas safety and installation courses:

• ‘G.I.S. Gas Installer – Safety’ to upgrade the skills and knowledge of persons in gas safety features so as to enable them to work safely on domestic installations and non-domestic gas pipe work.
• ‘G.I.D. Gas Installer – Domestic’ to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to install, maintain and service domestic gas installations and equipment in accordance with current standards and regulations.

Sustainable Energy courses:

• Solar Thermal Installer
• Heat-pump Installer
• Bio-mass boiler Installer

These courses aim to develop the necessary skills, knowledge and competence of plumbers, electricians, fitters and other suitably qualified construction workers to design, install and commission domestic solar hot water heating, bio-mass and heat-pump systems in a safe and competent manner.

Building Energy Rating:

This course provides the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies to suitably qualified participants to produce Building Energy Rating Assessor (BER) labels and advisory reports for new and existing dwellings in accordance with current standards and regulations.

Smart/Intelligent Building Systems:

This course provides qualified electricians or suitably qualified applicants with the skills, knowledge and competence to install, configure and test an intelligent building control system using KNX/EIB technology.

Insulation technologies and techniques:

This course provides general construction trades persons with skills and knowledge in the areas of insulation materials, techniques and technologies, and provides plasterers with external wall rendering techniques for existing and new buildings.

The Tánaiste said that plans were well advanced to further expand this initial offering of green and clean-tech construction sector courses with the following additional courses due to come on stream later this year:

Micro-Electricity Generation Wind Turbine and Photovoltaic Courses:

These courses are being developed in close co-operation with Sustainable Energy Ireland and will enable Installers to safely install appropriate micro-generation equipment up to 11Kw 3 phase or 6Kw single phase in size, in line with the current requirements as defined by E.S.B. networks.

Passive House Building:

This course will be aimed at construction workers and will provide the skills and knowledge to understand and use the technology associated with the passive house construction method/standard.

The Tánaiste said that since 2007 FÁS Services to Business have also delivered a number of programmes in Energy Efficiency, Renewable Technologies, Carbon Footprint Calculation and Reduction, Waste Prevention, Water Protection and Waste Water Treatment, aimed at the general workforce including construction workers. She said that these programmes included the following:

The Tánaiste also said that, in addition, under the Skillnets Training Networks Programme a number of relevant training courses are currently provided to participants, including construction workers, in knowledge areas such as Building Energy Rating, Low Carbon Energy Assessment, Air Permeability Training, Energy Savings and Water Hygiene.

Concluding, the Tánaiste said, “The courses I am outlining today, together with those already in place and schemes such as the Redundant Apprentice Rotation Scheme, represent a substantive commitment on the part of this Government to assist those affected by the current downturn in the construction sector.”

ENDS/ETE2047