South Yorkshire Retrofit Skills Task Force
South Yorkshire launches Retrofit Skills Task Force to deliver warm homes, ease the cost of living, and drive the creation of green jobs.
Mayor of South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, Oliver Coppard, speaks at the launch of the South Yorkshire Retrofit Skills Task Force
South Yorkshire is taking bold action to decarbonise its housing stock and create thousands of green jobs with the launch of the South Yorkshire Retrofit Skills Task Force, led by SY Ecofit CIC with support from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Aviva, the UK’s leading insurer.
With more than half of the 620,000 homes in South Yorkshire not meeting basic energy efficiency standards, the region faces the dual challenges of sourcing enough skilled local workers and driving demand for energy efficiency improvements amongst homeowners.
Housing energy efficiency improvements - known as ‘retrofit’ - make homes warmer and more comfortable by introducing insulation and other upgrades. By reducing the amount of energy needed to heat homes, these measures lower heating bills and ease cost of living pressures on household budgets.
The Retrofit Skills Task Force will:
Map existing activity, training and workforce capacity across South Yorkshire
Build a regional action plan for recruitment, skills, and delivery
Strengthen local supply chains by connecting SMEs, Tier 1 contractors, and community-led initiatives
Inspire homeowners and landlords to invest in energy efficiency upgrades
Judi Greenwood, Director & Strategic Partnerships Lead at SY Ecofit, led a panel to discuss the demand and opportunities for growing the green skills labour market.
“We’re determined to make South Yorkshire a national leader in retrofit delivery,” said Judi Greenwood, Director of SY Ecofit. “This is about creating good jobs, cutting energy bills, and reducing emissions while keeping investment in our local economy.”
The Task Force builds on Ecofit’s grassroots experience in decarbonisation, connecting construction, training, and community sectors. Its network already includes all four South Yorkshire local authorities, leading contractors, and training providers.
Aviva, which has a large office presence at Pomona, Sheffield, employing 2,300 people, are backing the initiative with SYMCA as part of their commitment to a net zero future. Aviva is the first major insurer to commit to net zero by 2040 and invests heavily in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and place-based resilience programmes.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen South Yorkshire’s local skills and supply chains, while helping residents achieve lower energy bills and warmer, healthier homes,” said SYMCA’s Director of Housing and Infrastructure, Colin Blackburn. “By investing in retrofit, we can reduce fuel poverty and cut carbon emissions, creating a thriving local sector that delivers long-term value for our communities.”
Aviva’s David Schofield spoke passionately about the Task Force’s potential to make real, measurable impact on the region’s residents.
David Schofield, Aviva’s Sustainability Director for Social Action & Sustainable Business, said: “As someone who calls Sheffield home, I see first-hand the potential of the city and we have an opportunity to help its brilliant communities get ready for the future. The Retrofit Skills Task Force is exactly the kind of place-based initiative that brings social and climate action to life through its aims of local growth, local jobs and warmer homes.”