The award for five new skills training centres across south east Scotland will support future housing delivery, retrofit and green economy jobs in the region. Researchers from the UKRI Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB), led by Professor Sean Smith, worked with regional partners to secure the funds to build the new training facilities, funded by the UK Government Local Growth Fund. The underpinning development bid proposal for the Housing and Net Zero Accelerator Hub (HaNZAH) training centres was jointly led by Simon Earp (Vice Principal at West Lothian College) and Professor Sean Smith (Chair of Future Construction at the University of Edinburgh). Regional colleges in the Borders, Edinburgh, Fife, and West Lothian will train over 20,000 new entrants over the coming decade and they will upskill existing workers. The investment is part of a £37.8 million award for Edinburgh and the South East Scotland City Region targeting areas with the lowest household incomes to create jobs and boost living standards. CeNZ-HighDB, situated at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and staffed from the University’s School of Engineering, is funded by the UKRI, involving five higher education institutions and over 128 partners from the construction, housing and public sectors. Professor Sean Smith, Principal Investigator, the Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings, said, We are delighted to see the investment from UK Government to these critically important five regional delivery skills hub facilities which will help so many people entering training and jobs in the housing and construction sector.Related links Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings Publication date 08 Sep, 2026
