The free online webinars, exclusively for OFTEC registered technicians, cover a range of topics from net zero policy, training funding to regulatory reform. The interactive sessions also provide a forum for technicians to ask questions to a panel of experts.
The first three webinars in the series have already been held, with the first session focussed on net zero policy in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. OFTEC’s Ireland Manager David Blevings outlined the Republic’s legally binding path to net zero emissions by 2050 with a 51% reduction in emissions by the end of this decade.
To achieve this, the government has outlined plans to install 400,000 heat pumps by 2030. In Northern Ireland, the Executive has launched a consultation on decarbonising heating which, similarly, focusses on heat pumps as the primary solution. David shared OFTEC’s response to the consultation and the need to incorporate renewable liquid fuels into net zero policy.
The second session provided an update on OFTEC’s activity in Westminster to secure policy support for renewable liquid fuels. The webinar was led by OFTEC CEO Paul Rose, Head of Public Affairs Malcolm Farrow, and John Weedon from fuel distributor Mitchell & Webber.
The panel outlined positive signals from the new Labour government, which includes promises not to force people to ‘rip out their boiler’, but wider uncertainty over Labour’s plans. Paul, Malcolm and John discussed how renewable liquid fuels were the only viable option for rural households who would face significant costs and challenges if they had to switch to a heat pump.
In the most recent webinar, OFTEC hosted an ‘Ask us anything’ session on OFTEC’s Facebook group, where technicians put forward questions on a range of subjects from technical and registration queries, to hydrotreated vegetable oil and funding for the Heat Pump Training Grant.
Following positive feedback, OFTEC is considering extending the programme to cover additional topics including registration benefits, with contributions from partner organisations. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Investment
Malcolm Farrow, Head of Public Affairs at OFTEC, commented: “We’re very pleased to be running webinars to support OFTEC technicians, both in their day to day work and helping them navigate the changes net zero will bring to our industry. We recognise how busy technicians are, particularly at this time of year, which is why we’re running these sessions online as part of a wider commitment to continually invest in the training and support we provide.
“As well as having a strong panel of experts from across the industry, we want the sessions to be fully interactive and provide a forum for technicians to ask the questions and shape the discussion. We look forward to sharing more details about our 2025 webinars in due course.”
OFTEC’s webinar series comes ahead of Labour’s expected policy announcements on how it will decarbonise the off-grid sector. There are also questions over whether the government will continue to fund the Heat Pump Training Grant, which has been a key driver in skilling technicians to work on heat pumps, after the end of March.
Malcolm added: “Whilst there have been positive signals from Labour, there is still a lot of uncertainty over their plans for transitioning the off-grid sector onto low carbon heating, and the funding they will put in place for technicians to access training in new technologies.
“As an industry, it’s important we continually listen and feed into the government’s plans to help shape a positive future for homes and businesses living off the gas grid. Through our webinar programme, we will be providing regular updates to our technicians on the latest developments.”
Recordings of OFTEC’s webinars which are available for free, exclusively to OFTEC registered technicians, can be found at in the technician area of the OFTEC website and Facebook group.
Image credit: OFTEC