The Energy Training Academy CIC has agreed a £50,000 deal with St Andrews Timber & Building Supplies which will help accelerate the development of the ground-breaking social enterprise.

Work on transforming a 12,000 sq. ft. warehouse in Dalkeith has been ongoing this year, with phase one of Scotland’s newest LCL Awards-approved training centre completed in February.

The five-figure agreement with the Edinburgh-based builders’ merchant will now allow bosses at the education centre to step up the construction of other areas of the academy which will deliver Scottish Government-led programmes to help youngsters into employment, while also helping established gas engineers transition into renewables.

The partnership will see St Andrews supply over 50 tonnes of building materials, from fire-rated plaster board and insulation to metal for suspended ceilings and flooring, as well as hundreds of eco-friendly bamboo pens and recycled notepads.

The link-up is the latest exciting development for the merchant, with new landscaping divisions having recently opened at its Livingston and Paisley branches as part of ongoing expansion plans.

St Andrews’ managing director Ronnie Robinson said: “We wanted to get involved as it is quite clearly a unique generational project.  We haven’t been involved in anything at this level before, certainly nothing that will have as much of a social and community impact.

The long-term vision of founder Mark Glasgow really captivated us. It’s not often you meet someone with his kind of drive and enthusiasm which will give something back.”

He added: “This will be a force of good and we’re delighted to be part of it. This facility will be transformational for people and we will see our children’s children experience the benefit of it.

Not only is the academy raising awareness of the sustainable future of energy and heating, it’s also passing down future skills to the next generation and preparing them for what lies ahead in terms of solar, electric and renewables.”

Once fully operational over two floors, the academy will host three state-of-the-art lecture rooms, interactive training areas for renewables featuring heat pumps and solar energy as well as an open floor area with multiple ‘live’ boilers.

There will also be a dedicated space for gas engineers to sit their Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) exams, with an additional four bays replicating a home environment with boilers, gas fires, underfloor piping and attic space to allow practical training.

Mr Glasgow said: “It’s an exciting collaboration and this level of support is very much appreciated and allows us to complete certain phases of the build ahead of schedule. 

It’s a massive project we have undertaken and this backing helps us to go more at the pace we want to as we look to make the entire centre available to both the industry and the community. We’re able to increase the amount of planned social impact activities and that’s going to help us on our mission to help support net zero education.”