Cradley Heath musician switches career plans to build firm foundations in green jobs of the future

Ministers recently announced a £1.2 billion investment in skills per year by 2028- to 2029, and a £625 million Construction Skills Package to deliver up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers to support the renewable energy sector, including plumbers and heating installers, carpenters, welders and bricklayers.

Among those switching careers to take advantage of new opportunities is Dexta Rich, a musician from Cradley Heath, who swapped his place at a Birmingham music college for a two year Bricklaying Apprenticeship offered by the eco-minded housebuilder he had been working for part-time to fund his music studies.

More accustomed to headlining gigs with his band Prime Boyz, including one at the O2 Institute in Digbeth, at Dudley College of Technology he found he had the knack for spreading mortar. 

"Everyone was telling me ‘You're so good at this, how have you never done this before?’” Rich said.



The challenge of the craft strongly appealed to him. Cutting carbon emissions was also an important part of the programme.

Rich said: "We learned about carpentry and how sustainable it is. We did things on solar panels, how they help the environment and how easy they are to install.

"We do things that can help, such as cavities in walls - they’re getting bigger, more insulation is going into them so you're not using as much energy."

Having earned a Distinction in his apprenticeship programme earlier this year, Rich has had a gear change. Still with his employer Kiwi Homes in Harborne, he has embarked on a quantity surveyor degree apprenticeship with the University of Birmingham.



"It's five years of uni to be a quantity surveyor,” he said. “It's a lot different from bricklaying. But you're working with the same sort of people to get the same end goal."

James Overton, director of Kiwi – a residential builder that for the past 15 years has been delivering home upgrades with renewables such as solar and heat pumps – said: “You can see when people have the talent. "He’s good at everything, he’s got a nice demeanour."

Meanwhile, heating engineer Tim Barr, who services boilers across the Dudley area, is among experienced tradespeople seeking to upskill. He recently attended a heat pump bootcamp at Bescot Stadium held by Telford training provider Teach A Trade.

“I’ve been on loads of courses, and this is probably the best one,” Tim said - adding: “Heat pumps are something I wanted to get into but there’s a lot to take in and understand.

“Change is needed in the heating industry. The grandkids will benefit more than me. It’s not just about trying to save money, it’s the future."

Head electrical trainer and assessor at Teach A Trade Kieron Fisher advises young people and career changers considering the electrical trade to have “self-belief and a determination to give things a go. It's not quite as daunting as you think”.