Northern Regional College will play a key role in Northern Ireland’s first ever Hydrogen Training Academy, which Minister for the Economy Gordon Lyons MLA has officially launched.
The new Ballymena-based Academy will assist in the development of a skilled workforce that will be able to fully exploit emerging hydrogen and cleantech opportunities. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is leading the initiative, which has received a £700,000 public-private investment from the UK Government’s Community Renewal Fund, the Department for Communities Covid-Revitalisation Fund, and EP UK Investments.
Mel Higgins, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, said: “Our staff are currently being trained online by the University of Birmingham and they will then pass their skills onto trainees from Level 2 all the way up to Level 7, allowing progression through the range of qualifications.
“This programme will allow people to enter the workforce and upskill themselves for life-long learning opportunities and fill a skills gap across various industries.”
Wrightbus, Energia, Translink, Firmus, and EP UK Investments are among the key industry players involved in the Academy. Academy students will have access to a brand-new, cutting-edge training pod at Silverwood Business Park. The H2 Gas Safe Lab is the first of two Academy training facilities in Ballymena, and it is aimed at the NI Gas Safe Register plumbing and heating industry, providing a competence testing space for work with commercial level equipment. It is the UK’s first mixed-gas hydrogen-testing lab, with multiple systems to help Gas Safe engineers reduce carbon footprints in homes and offices.
The second training facility, which will be located at Northern Regional College, will focus on hydrogen production using specialized training equipment. It will serve as a technology familiarization teaching space for students of all levels interested in learning the fundamentals of green hydrogen.
Speaking at its launch, Minister for the Economy Gordon Lyons MLA said: “The Hydrogen Training Academy is a first-of-its-kind project which will enable Northern Ireland to fully maximise opportunities associated with hydrogen as the emerging leading sustainable energy solution.
“By supporting our wider ambitions for a greener future through the delivery of a range of crucial entry-level introductory training across several sectors, including energy, transport, gas, manufacturing and engineering, it is an incredibly exciting time to be able to be involved in such an initiative.
“The Hydrogen Training Academy aligns with a number of current policy initiatives, including the Department’s 10X Economic Strategy, the UK’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution and Clean Growth Strategy, as well as our recently-launched Path to Net Zero energy strategy, which sets out a vision of net zero affordable energy. These investments in clean energy will help grow the green economy and reduce Northern Ireland’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.”
