Aira opens Sheffield training academy

European clean energy technology company Aira has opened a new training academy in Sheffield as part of a £300m investment in the UK.

The Aira Academy will act as the Northern training headquarters, welcoming hundreds of recruits this year alone at all stages of their career, including apprentices and existing gas engineers, to become heat pump specialists.

Located in White Rose Business Park, the centre features multiple training rooms and demonstration zones where trainees will be able to sharpen their skills and practise a variety of heat pump installation scenarios.

The launch of the Academy is part of Aira’s £300m UK investment, with the company aiming to create 8,000 jobs over the next decade.

Pamela Brown, Aira Group chief marketing officer, said: “I’m immensely proud to open the first-of-a-kind Aira Academy in Sheffield, which enables our ambition to take Europe off gas by training the much-needed green skills workforce.

“By empowering the next generation of clean energy experts, Aira is able to deliver a complete end-to-end service with high-quality installations and the reassurance of a 15-year Comfort Guarantee with the Aira Heat Pump. It’s electrifying to see so many individuals move over from roles in fossil-fuels to careers in clean energy-tech and we know this is just the start of a shift in paradigm to a more sustainable future.”

Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East and chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, added: “It’s fantastic to see innovative companies such as Aira set up their advanced training facilities in Sheffield, increasing employment opportunities and bringing investment to the local area. If as a country, we are serious about working towards Net Zero, we are going to need many new installers to meet the predicted demand for low carbon heat pumps with over 230,000 homes in Sheffield still using gas boilers.”

Source: https://www.insidermedia.com/news/yorkshire/aira-opens-sheffield-training-academy