20 September 2023
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<L-R> Stephen Knight and Martyn Raine
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the standards organisation for small-scale domestic renewable energy and technology across the UK, has appointed Martyn Raine and Stephen Knight as Sector Skills Managers.
Their arrival comes as MCS begins to take a larger role in developing skills and competence within the sector, following on from a six-week scheme consultation that took place this summer.
This includes expanding its remit to encompass the recognition and approval of training courses for low-carbon energy and heating installers across the UK, which will be led by the two new Sector Skills Managers at MCS.
Both Martyn and Stephen bring a wealth of experience to the organisation from their background in training and educational standards in the sector, having developed training courses for the likes of British Gas, SSE, SNIPEF, local authorities and education trusts.
Martyn Raine has worked in the plumbing and heating sector for almost 30 years, having begun his career as an MCS certified contractor before moving into education and working with training centres, apprenticeship frameworks and standards bodies across Scotland and Northern Ireland.
He also supported the creation of the Installer Skills Matrix which mapped suitable competencies for energy efficiency work for public sector work in Scotland, managing the inspection processes of the membership to ensure industry standards were maintained and members adhered to the required standards.
Martyn also contributed to the successful operation of building standards certification scheme operated by SNIPEF on behalf of the Scottish Government Building Standards Division (BSD).
Stephen Knight also started his career as a plumber before moving into training technical skills and leadership development as well as assessments, quality assurance and internal auditing.
He set up and ran a network for successful training centres on the South Coast, collaborating with local authorities and education trusts with a focus on full variety of low-carbon technologies in the UK.
One of the first projects the pair will lead on is the launch of the Low Carbon Heating Technician Apprenticeship in 2024. MCS helped design the course structure of the UK’s first low-carbon dedicated heating apprenticeship, which was one of six green apprenticeships hand-picked by industry experts to mark the King’s Coronation in recognition of their sustainability credentials.
Ian Rippin, CEO of MCS, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Stephen and Martyn to the MCS team. They bring a breadth of knowledge and will give us full coverage of the UK.”
“They’ve hit the ground running since their appointment last month and are already meeting industry bodies to talk about their training needs to upskill and cross-skill the installer base of tomorrow. MCS wants to remove barriers and help contribute to increasing the number of skilled, qualified contractors in our sector and these appointments signal our commitment to this.”
