Saint-Gobain UK and Adra have extended their retrofit skills partnership to help residents, young people and contractors across North Wales gain the practical skills needed to improve homes, reduce energy use and support healthier, more comfortable living conditions.
The extension builds on work that has raised awareness of how retrofit can improve comfort, cut energy bills and tackle problems linked to damp, cold and poorly ventilated homes. It will continue to support recognised practical training and qualifications through Tŷ Gwyrddfai, the collaborative low-carbon construction and retrofit centre developed by Adra, Busnes@LlandrilloMenai and Bangor University. It will also help local people and contractors build the skills needed to deliver high-quality retrofit work across the region.
Through the partnership to date 200 leaners have been supported with the practical skills needed to deliver high-quality retrofit projects and improve existing homes. The supported decarbonisation hub, Tŷ Gwyrddfai has played host to community, college and school events to raise awareness of the critical topic of transforming housing to improve residents comfort, reduce energy bills and address issues related to damp, cold and poorly ventilated homes.
The partnership will continue until at least 2028 with both organisations exploring further opportunities to develop retrofit skills across North Wales.
Over the next two years, the programme is expected to support [320 learners, 300 contractors & 130 businesses], helping to train more local people, equip more contractors, create more routes into sustainable construction for young people and enable more communities to benefit from warmer, healthier, lower-carbon homes.
The extended partnership will also support training linked to an emerging programme focused on supporting young people into careers in decarbonisation and sustainable construction, creating opportunities for local residents to gain hands-on experience and accredited training.
Jason Smith, R&R Sector Director at Saint-Gobain UK & Ireland, said: “The retrofit challenge cannot be met by products alone — it also needs investment in people and practical skills. By extending our partnership with ADRA, we can continue to support local residents, young people and contractors with the practical knowledge needed to improve homes across North Wales. This is about building confidence, capability and a skilled workforce that can help deliver warmer, healthier and more sustainable homes for the future.”
The partnership reflects Saint-Gobain’s wider commitment to developing the recognised skills, knowledge and competency needed to accelerate retrofit and support the UK’s transition to more sustainable construction.
Rhys Roberts, Tŷ Gwyrddfai Business and Development Manager at Adra, said: “This partnership is helping to build the local skills needed to improve homes across North Wales. By working with experts like Saint-Gobain and our partners at Tŷ Gwyrddfai, we can continue to support residents, contractors, our workforce and young people with practical training that contributes to warmer, more efficient homes and stronger local communities.”
