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The publication of the Warm Homes Plan (WHP) marks a turning point for the domestic retrofit and clean heat workforce.
The conversation is shifting. It is no longer simply about how many people we can train, but whether the workforce delivering at scale is demonstrably competent and supported to remain so.
The Plan will deliver £15 billion of public investment, upgrade up to 5 million homes and help to lift up to a million families out of fuel poverty by 2030. Meeting these targets will require significant upskilling, stronger oversight and clearer accountability. The WHP also acknowledges historic non-compliance in previous schemes and commits to reforming standards, simplifying certification and improving data and governance.
At the heart of this reform agenda sits one word: competence.
As with most sectors, the energy efficiency sector relies heavily on formal qualifications as a proxy for capability. And qualifications matter. They provide structure, consistency and minimum standards. But qualifications alone do not guarantee that work will be delivered right first time, safely and to specification.
The Warm Homes Plan explicitly recognises this. It commits to reviewing “how the definition of competence for PAS roles could be broadened beyond qualifications, without compromising on safety and quality, to better align to the dutyholder and competency regime set out under the Building Safety Act 2022 and the construction industry’s wider position on competence where skills, knowledge, experience and behaviour are holistically assessed.“
This reflects a broader industry realisation: certification does not always equal site-readiness. Experienced workers can be locked out by rigid definitions, and individuals, though technically qualified, may still require additional development before operating independently.
If we are serious about quality, scale, and public trust, we must move beyond certificates towards demonstrating competence.
At Greenworkx, we use the term competence assurance deliberately.
Competence assurance is a structured, data-driven approach to defining, measuring and strengthening workforce competence, and being able to evidence that capability with confidence.
It has three core components:
1. Clear definition
Task-specific expectations that articulate not only required qualifications, but the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to perform required tasks effectively.
2. Meaningful measurement
Assessment methods that enable organisations to understand the competence of their workforce and supply chain (at scale), and identify any gaps, in real time. Competence is not measured with a one-time snapshot; regulations and frameworks evolve, and knowledge and skills need to be maintained and refreshed.
3. Targeted development
Focused upskilling and progression pathways that close identified gaps, keep knowledge and skills up to date, and support continuous improvement.
The goal is to build and evidence competence over time, and on an ongoing basis.
The WHP reinforces the urgency of getting this right.
Significant public investment will increase training volumes. Reforms to PAS standards and collaboration with the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) will change how competence is recognised. A new Warm Homes Agency will (from 2027) introduce stronger oversight and a “data and intelligence function” to identify risk and improve delivery.
Taken together, this creates a new operating environment for organisations delivering retrofit and clean heat:
In this context, a simple question becomes critical:
How do you know, and demonstrate, that your workforce is competent?
Assumptions are no longer sufficient. Nor is reliance on certificates alone. Organisations need visibility, benchmarking and structured improvement mechanisms that stand up to audit and protect both consumers and reputation.
Competence assurance should not be viewed as an additional compliance burden. Done well, it is a strategic asset.
It enables employers to:
For the workforce, it provides clarity on expectations, structured progression and confidence in their readiness to deliver.
For the sector, it is a route to building and maintaining trust.
The WHP has set the direction. The next step is operationalising that intent across organisations and supply chains.
If the home improvement and energy sector is to meet its delivery ambitions safely, efficiently and at scale, competence must become routine: defined, developed and assured.
In forthcoming articles in this series, we will explore how industry leaders are approaching this shift, and how data and practical tools can help turn policy ambition into delivery confidence.
