Skills Bootcamp: Retrofit the City
Currently viewing course to start in 2024/25 Entry.
The Retrofit the City Bootcamp is structured around key topics crucial for understanding and implementing effective retrofit strategies for communities and buildings, equipping participants with the skills and understanding needed to drive the retrofit agenda forward....
- Level CPD
- Study mode Short Course
- Award N/A
- Start date November 2024
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Overview
Skills Bootcamps are intensive short-term training courses, supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority, that provide you with an invaluable opportunity to gain sought-after, sector-specific skills as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee to help everyone gain skills for life.
The Retrofit the City Bootcamp is structured around key topics crucial for understanding and implementing effective retrofit strategies for communities and buildings, equipping participants with the skills and understanding needed to drive the retrofit agenda forward. This Bootcamp will provide you with a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical experience presented by leading academics and practitioners in the field.
What's covered in this course?
The UK has set ambitious Net Zero targets, aiming to eliminate its carbon emissions by 2050. With a building stock contributing to approximately 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, extensive retrofit work is imperative. Retrofit involves more than upgrading buildings to improve energy performance. It is a holistic approach to address fuel poverty, enhance the quality of life, generate new jobs, stimulate green supply chains, and future-proof building assets.
To meet these targets, the industry needs new professionals and tradespeople, along with upskilling the existing workforce, offering a unique opportunity for individuals to join a dynamic sector and contribute to a sustainable future.
By attending this course, you will gain a real-world view towards new solutions for the Net-Zero challenge. You will develop an understanding of a range of retrofit solutions applied in different contexts and building typologies and the positive potential it can have on socio-economic factors to communities involved.
Learners will start to consider how they can apply their new knowledge/thinking within their roles/career development through practical steps embedded throughout eight modules including:
- Introduction to Retrofit the City: definitions for reuse, planning and policy
- Community Powered Retrofit
- Retrofit in Public Buildings
- Sustainable Materials for Retrofit
- Domestic Retrofit at Scale
- Small Scale Domestic Retrofit
- Training and Knowledge Sharing & Campaigning and Activism
- Retrofit the City: Your Present and Future
The course has been designed by leading academics, delivering a theory-based series of eight day-long sessions, spread over 14 weeks.
You will attend seminars and presentations delivered by renowned experts at the Birmingham City University campus alongside offsite visits to businesses and organisations delivering the best retrofit practices across the country. There will be guided learning to help you apply the latest strategies, information, and processes to develop a retrofit action plan applicable to your own working environment.
Please note that use of a laptop will be required and include site visits to different city locations using public transport.
Why Choose Us?
- Delivered by renowned experts from academia and industry, providing the latest knowledge, strategies, and case studies on sustainable development.
- Course delivery is designed to support your personal development and professional expertise whilst in full-time employment.
- State of the art campus with access to onsite facilities such as the library, teaching spaces, breakout areas, cafés and communal study spaces.
- Ideal for workers of all levels: from new starters to business leaders, managers, and professionals from backgrounds including architecture, design, the arts, policy, planning, natural/built environment, product and design management.
- Learn a holistic framework for retrofit, across scales through real-life examples from across the country.
- Upon completion of the course, every graduate will be awarded an official Birmingham City University Certificate of Achievement to recognise their accomplishment and with which to evidence their skills to future employers.
Fees & How to Apply
Essential entry requirements
- Meet the Department for Education's Skills for Life eligibility requirements
- GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C / 4 or above
- Equivalent level 2 or above qualifications can be accepted
- Be in employment or registered self-employment in a relevant sector
- Provide proof of a Right To Work in the UK or a Share Code for international workers
- Either live or work in the West Midlands or looking to increase work in the region
- Entry requirements must have been achieved before or at the point of enrolment.
Apply Now
Course fees
Employers who wish to upskill their personnel using the Skills Bootcamp programme will be charged dependent on business size:
- Registered self-employed/sole trader: free of charge
- SME (10% of total course value): £308
- Large organisation (30% of total course value): £924.
The remainder will be funded by the Department for Education.
Please email Dr Senem Zeybekoglu Sadri or Terri-Louise Doyle for more details.
Course duration
Induction day: 8 November 2024
Start date: 15 November 2024
- 8 day-long sessions over 14 weeks. The teaching days are Friday and Saturday beginning on 15-16 November 2024, with subsequent sessions being held on 6-7 December 2024, 17-18 January 2025, and 7-8 February 2025.
- Sessions are recorded and accessible for additional learner throughout the course.
- Access to on-campus facilities, labs and wider student support.
- Location: Parkside Building and Curzon Building, City Centre Campus, Birmingham City University.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
When you join Birmingham City University, the first thing you will notice is the exceptional quality of our campuses. With an investment of over £400 million across our buildings and facilities, we are committed to giving you the very best learning environment to help shape your experience.
You will be based in our multi-million pound Parkside building – a state of the art facility located within our City Centre Campus. Here you will have full access to our recently upgraded, high spec CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) workstations situated within our dedicated computer labs and open access areas.
You’ll also benefit from:
- Design studios
- Physical and digital library
- Dedicated social spaces
- Cafés
- Bike storage
- Refreshments and catering will be provided on certain days
Our staff
Dr Jemma Browne
Head of the College of Architecture
Jemma is the Head of Architecture, Course Director BA (Hons) Design for Future Living and Associate Professor Teaching and Learning. She teaches history and theory of Architecture and Design and coordinates the overall delivery and development of this strand of all the architecture courses, as well as contributing to the development of the...
More about JemmaKatriona Byrne
Deputy Head of the College of Architecture
Katriona's BA in History of Art led her to work on the Pevsner Architectural Guide for Dublin and on the National Inventory of Ireland. The Historic Heart of Dublin European project led to a postgraduate Diploma in Architectural Inventorying and Recording. Katriona then worked for about 10 years as a local authority...
More about KatrionaAlessandro Columbano
Associate Professor
Alessandro is the course director for the MArch Architecture (RIBA pt.2) and L7 Architect Apprenticeship. He also co-established and leads the Co\\aborative Lab:oratory (Co.LAB) an inter-disciplinary design-research initiative within the school that integrates teaching with contemporary creative practices through live projects, design research and...
More about AlessandroMax Olof Karlsson Wisotsky
Lecturer in Architecture & Course Director BA Architecture
Max Wisotsky is a lecturer and head of Year Two architecture at Birmingham City University.
More about Max OlofDr Senem Zeybekoglu Sadri
Lecturer in Architecture and Design
Dr. Senem Zeybekoglu Sadri studied architecture at Yildiz Technical University in Istanbul, Turkey. She completed her PhD on “Urban Regeneration and the Right to the City” in 2008. Her post-doctoral research at the City College of New York, USA, focused on urban housing organisations and community-based planning and design.
More about SenemEnquiries
Please email Dr Senem Zeybekoglu Sadri or Terri-Louise Doyle for more details.