All LCL Awards centres delivering ACS assessments will be aware that the Gas Safe Register has been offering six month extensions for engineers whose ACS certification expired during the Covid 19 pandemic. This is to account for the disruption caused by closed centres and candidates unable to train because they are shielding, unwell and/or unable to travel.

As England heads into a second lockdown today (Thursday 5^th November) for a what’s hoped will be no longer than a four-week period, we wanted to reassure you that training centres and colleges will not be closing and that pre-booked courses will be running as planned.

For those leaving the armed forces, the transition to civilian life can be challenging. The Careers Transition Partnership (CTP) helps ex-service personnel find a new career by providing them funding for training.

The Government’s new Green Homes Grant Scheme is up and running. It’s a two-pronged initiative, designed to help improve energy efficiency and promote low carbon heating in homes across England as well as boost the market for installers working in the sector.

Gas Safe Register/HSE published a leaflet on 30^th September, with advice for gas engineers who have been unable to update their ACS qualifications due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a safety alert – ‘Failure to detect dangerous gas/vapour due to incorrect specification of sample tube’ - following a fatal incident in which a gas detector failed to detect the presence of a flammable vapour, due to incorrect calibration and the absorbtion of the vapour onto the inner surface of the sample tube.

The government has just launched a bold initiative for the green construction sector, to help boost the economy and curb the threat of rising unemployment post COVID 19. The scheme, which is designed to encourage homeowners to upgrade the energy efficiency of their homes, also shows a commitment to its carbon cutting agenda.

During the peak of COVID 19 the HSE temporarily permitted registered gas engineers whose ACS qualifications had expired to remain on the Gas Safe Register for an additional period.

With lockdown measures easing, more ACS centres (including LCL Awards approved ones) are able to open, so the HSE is urging for reassessment to start taking place again.

LCL Awards is one of a number of industry representatives* involved in a consultation about the future of low carbon heating and the training needed to meet targets to decarbonise UK homes.

LCL Awards and Develop Training Ltd. (DTL) have collaborated in developing a Managed Learning Programme (MLP) specifically for the emergency services; a key part of DTL’s new Level 3 apprenticeship.