Just after Labour pledged a ‘green jobs boom’ – Centrica will open a £35m state-of-the-art academy to train thousands of engineers each year in heat pumps, EV chargers, solar and battery storage.
The academy and energy transition research lab in Lutterworth, Leicestershire will open in May 2026. The site is for upskilling Centrica’s 7,000-strong engineer workforce and offering new green jobs across the UK and Ireland.
A full-size “eco house” will showcase whole-home retrofit and integrated technologies.
Five labs will anchor applied R&D and field support: a Net Zero Lab, a Diagnostic & Innovation Lab, a Smart Testing Lab for metering, a Controls Lab for commercial systems and a Hive Lab for connected-home products and EV charging.
Centrica brands British Gas, Hive and Bord Gáis Energy will draw on the centre for product testing, tool development and engineer enablement.
The new facility is 40% larger than the existing Leicester academy, which will be integrated during the transition.
Centrica says the academy advances its pledge to hire “one apprentice a day” this decade, with 1,700+ apprentices already onboarded since 2021.
Chris O’Shea, Chief Executive of Centrica, said the academy “will set a new benchmark for industry training,” adding that more engineers trained in green skills will make the transition “more achievable.” He highlighted the need for “well paid, unionised jobs” that deliver first-class service while enabling a just transition.
Government welcomed the move as aligned with the national clean energy skills plan. Industry Minister Chris McDonald said the facility will “equip thousands of engineers with the skills they need to help deliver our clean energy mission.”
Local leaders called it a catalyst for regional innovation and employment.
South Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa said the academy will “empower thousands of engineers with essential green skills.”
Centrica to open £35m Net Zero Training Academy in Leicestershire appeared first on Energy Live News.