The Retrofit Academy (TRA), Champions of Competence, has strengthened its partnership with AIM, bringing all of TRA’s regulated qualifications under one awarding organisation as part of an ambitious strategy to set the benchmark for competence, capability and career progression across the UK retrofit profession.
The move brings TRA’s full regulated qualifications portfolio together with AIM, an Ofqual-regulated, award-winning, not-for-profit awarding organisation.
Together, TRA and AIM share an ambition to lead the regulated retrofit qualifications space: creating a coherent, trusted framework that supports people from their first step into the sector through to advanced and specialist roles.
This is about more than regulatory compliance. It is about developing a true understanding of competence: the combination of knowledge, practical capability, professional judgement and behaviours needed to deliver safe, effective and high-quality retrofit. By aligning qualifications around the needs of the sector, the partnership will help ensure that learning translates into real-world capability.
TRA’s regulated qualifications support key roles across the retrofit career pathway, including Retrofit Designer, Advisor, Assessor & Coordinator. Delivered through The Retrofit Academy’s learning platform, they are designed to give learners clear routes into and through the profession, while giving employers, housing providers and local authorities greater confidence in workforce competence.
David Pierpoint, Chief Executive at The Retrofit Academy, said: “At The Retrofit Academy, we are proud to be Champions of Competence. This partnership is about more than delivering qualifications or meeting mandatory requirements. It is about creating a genuine culture of lifelong learning, raising competence across the workforce and supply chain, and providing people with clear pathways into rewarding and sustainable careers.
Retrofit will only succeed at scale if quality and competence are built in from the outset. Bringing all of our regulated qualifications under AIM creates greater clarity and consistency for learners and their employers, while giving us a strong platform from which to raise standards across the profession.
“TRA lead the regulated retrofit qualifications space, but this is about far more than compliance. It is about understanding what true competence looks like, building clear career pathways and ensuring the profession has the knowledge, capability and confidence required to deliver high-quality retrofit now and in the future. Together with AIM, we are raising the bar and helping to build a profession that people can trust.”
Kevern Kerswell, Group Chief Executive Officer at AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group, said: “AIM is proud to deepen its partnership with The Retrofit Academy and to become the awarding organisation for its complete suite of regulated qualifications. TRA brings unrivalled specialist insight and expertise into the needs of the retrofit sector, while AIM brings rigorous qualification development, regulation and quality assurance.
“Together, we can develop qualifications that do more than demonstrate compliance. They will support genuine competence, meaningful progression and clear career pathways, helping learners build rewarding careers and giving employers confidence that their people have the capabilities the sector needs.”
The strengthened partnership will also support further education colleges and independent training providers seeking to develop or expand their retrofit offer. Through TRA’s licensed training partner model, providers can access teaching resources, technical expertise and specialist support aligned to recognised AIM qualifications.
As demand for skilled retrofit professionals continues to grow, TRA and AIM will work together to evolve the qualifications portfolio in line with industry need, close critical skills gaps and support a more professional, capable and resilient workforce. The aim is a joined-up career pathway that attracts new talent, enables progression and ensures competence at every level.
You can view the range of retrofit qualifications here: https://retrofitacademy.org/
Left to Right:
Rebecca Hayes, Business Development Director The Retrofit Academy (TRA)
David Pierpoint, CEO, Founder, TRA
Matthew Gray, General Manager, TRA
Faye Natalie Moore, Head of Business Growth and Apprenticeships at AIM Awards and Qualifications Group (AIM)
Matthew Evans, Director of Business Growth and Operations at AIM
Kevern Kerswell, Group Chief Executive Officer at AIM
Will Cummins, Relationship Manager, AIM
Notes to editors: About The Retrofit Academy
The Retrofit Academy are the Champions of Competence and the leading provider of retrofit training, qualifications, skills and knowledge in the UK. Working with industry, government, education providers and employers, The Retrofit Academy supports the development of the competent workforce needed to deliver high-quality domestic retrofit at scale.
About AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group is an Ofqual-regulated, award-winning, not-for-profit awarding organisation, Access Validating Agency and apprenticeship assessment organisation. For more than 40 years, AIM has worked with education providers, employers and partners to empower people through learning. AIM and Home Group won the Federation of Awarding Bodies’ 2023 AO/Employer Relationship of the Year award.
