NEWS | DIGEST IN BRIEF Research to tackle net zero barriers The Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation (Snipef) has secured funding for research to help the industry overcome barriers to net zero. The Construction Scotland Innovation Centre is providing the funds, and Snipef will work with the University of Edinburgh and the Energy Saving Trust on the project, Marketplace Demand and Pathways to Engagement for Net Zero Skills. The research will seek to highlight the importance of the plumbing and heating industry in the journey to net zero. Young Engineers Awards shortlists revealed Twenty apprentices and graduates, and six firms, will be contesting this years Young Engineers Awards. The shortlist for the virtual awards, which take place on 14 October, has eight finalists in the CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the year competition and 12 in the Apprentice of the Year award (see page 22). This years awards include separate recognition for Apprentice of the Year Technician (Level 3-4), and Apprentice of the Year Degree (Level 5-7). The Employee of the Year finalists will be announced at the same event (see page 13). The awards are delivered in partnership with CIBSE Patrons and are sponsored by Ideal Heating, ACV and Swegon. To register for the awards, visit www.cibse.org/YEA Alan Sherratt dies aged 85 Founder and director of the MidCareer College, and coordinating editor of the International Journal of Ambient Engineering, Alan Sherratt has died at the age of 85. He wrote textbooks on the integrated environment, air conditioning design, heat pumps, and energy management, and was awarded the CIBSE Barker Silver Medal in 1988. He became an honorary member of The Rumford Club in 2004. Record infrastructure plan will need colossal skills drive Scheme could lead to opportunities boost for apprentices and graduates The governments announcement of a record 650bn investment in infrastructure projects over the next decade will be a massive boost to the building services sector, but will need to be matched by an unprecedented surge in training and recruitment, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). A mixture of public money, private sector investment and the recruitment of more than 425,000 skilled workers is proposed to deliver the updated Infrastructure Pipeline plan published this week. More than 30bn worth of social and economic projects are due to be launched this year, according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, as part of an overall 200bn of work underpinning the governments Build Back Better programme. Transforming infrastructure performance: roadmap to 2030 lays out a detailed plan that could lead to a surge in new opportunities for apprentices, graduates, and experienced workers with the right skills, according to BESA. Transport, energy and utilities will command the largest share of the work, but there are also big plans for social and digital infrastructure between now and 2025. The contracts are worth between 15.4bn and 22.4bn, and 170 will need to be delivered by making best use of modern methods of construction (MMC), according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. BESA welcomed the updated plan as a vote that the programme relies heavily on improving productivity through greater use of digital technology and innovation. Increasing use of MMC will need to be supported by an upsurge short supply, the association added. 270m fund to boost green networks A 270m fund for low carbon heat networks will open to applications next year, and will take the place of the current 165m Heat Networks Investment Project. The Green Heat Network Fund is designed to incentivise investment in low carbon heat technologies, such as heat pumps, solar and geothermal energy, as the main energy sources for networks, as part of the governments strategy for decarbonising heat and delivering net zero buildings by 2050. The fund is designed to deliver up to 10.3Mt of carbon savings by 2050, and the money will be available to both public and private sector developers from next April until 2025. The Green Heat Network Fund will allow us to drive forward the new, cost-effective and low carbon technologies we need to kickstart new industries and support new jobs in the low carbon technology sector, as we build back greener from the pandemic, said energy minister Lord Callanan. There are currently around 14,000 heat networks operating across the UK, supplying heat and hot water to 480,000 end users. They provide around 2% of national heat demand, and substantially 10 October 2021 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Oct21 pp10 News.indd 10 24/09/2021 17:24