Skills & Workforce Development

From Ambition to Delivery - Heat Pumps and the Skills Challenge

About this event

Accompanying the launch of SHAP’s Retrofit Success Guides, this is the next in our ‘Retrofit Success’ Lunch and Learn series - practical conversations about what it really takes to improve retrofit delivery at scale.

Drawing on insights from SHAP’s Retrofit Success Guides, this session focuses on the critical role of skills and workforce development in enabling successful retrofit delivery. With the Government’s Warm Homes Plan signalling 180,000 new jobs in energy efficiency and clean heating, alongside a significant expansion of heat pump deployment by 2030, this session comes at a pivotal moment for the sector as it works to build the manufacturing capacity, installer confidence and delivery capability needed to meet that ambition.

We’ll be joined by Stevie Spinks and Joe Yeardley, from Ideal Heating who will share their reflections on the Skills and Workforce Development Retrofit Success Guide, as well as exploring:

• What scaling heat pump delivery means in practice and how manufacturing, training and aftercare affect quality and programme outcomes.
• How they are responding to growing deployment targets, including investment in UK production and workforce capability
• What their experience so far has shown about the realities of scaling heat pumps
• How manufacturers can strengthen installer confidence and help safeguard quality through training, accreditation and ongoing technical support
• What housing providers and delivery partners should be considering now as deployment accelerates

As always, there will be plenty of time for Q&A and open discussion.

Why attend

Join this session to:

• Hear directly from a manufacturer investing in UK heat pump production and workforce development
• Gain insight into what scaling heat pump delivery looks like from the supply chain side
• Understand where issues could arise as deployment grows
• Explore how training, support and service expectations are evolving alongside heat pump roll-out

Our Speakers

Stevie Spinks: is a Divisional Sales Director at Ideal Heating. Stevie has worked at Ideal Heating for 24 years; Stevie is a time served and still qualified Gas Safe Engineer who now leads a team of Key Account Managers covering North of England and Scotland. Stevie has gone through BPEC Heat Pump qualifications to better understand the transition required to upskill from being a Gas Engineer to a Heat Pump Engineer.

Joe Yeardley: is a Key Account Executive at Ideal Heating, covering the Yorkshire and Humberside region. He specialises in boiler and heat pump sales into Social Housing clients and partnering contractors. With over 20 years of heating sales experience, including seven years with Ideal, he focuses on delivering tailored heating solutions, driving long‑term value for clients, and supporting partners in achieving efficient, reliable, and future‑ready heating outcomes.

Joe plays an active role in helping organisations transition toward net‑zero goals by promoting clean‑energy heating technologies and supporting the adoption of low‑carbon solutions across the sector.

Who should attend

This event is open to anyone involved in commissioning, procuring, managing or delivering retrofit.

Those most likely to benefit include professionals working in asset management, sustainability and decarbonisation, programme delivery and procurement within Housing Associations and Local Authorities, as well as contractors and supply chain partners involved in heat pump and low-carbon heating deployment.

About SHAP: Chaired by Ellie Horwitch-Smith, Assistant Director, Route to Net Zero, Birmingham City Council, SHAP is a not-for-profit organisation made up of an independent network of innovators and leaders working in public and private organisations across a range of disciplines involved in the housing sector. Established 15 years ago, SHAP has a track record of supporting individual stockholders to develop their low-carbon housing/placemaking strategies, programmes and projects. A critical voice in the sector, SHAP has been commissioned by, amongst others, West Midlands Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority. SHAP has also worked in collaboration with leading thinkers including the Climate Change Committee, UKGBC and National Energy Action, to drive forward the sustainable housing agenda.

Please note that your contact information (name and organisation) may be exchanged between SHAP and Ideal Heating for the purpose of this event as well as for communication about other events that may be relevant to you. If you would prefer that your information isn't used in this way, please contact comms@shap.uk.com.

Please also note this meeting will be recorded and available for viewing afterwards, on SHAP’s social media platforms, including Vimeo and LinkedIn.