Building a Sustainable Future for Green Construction

Building a Sustainable Future for Green Construction – The Power of Immersive Technology

Webinar hosted by Metaverse Learning – October 14, 2025

The construction sector sits at the heart of the UK’s transition to net zero. Meeting ambitious targets for decarbonisation will require hundreds of thousands of skilled workers able to retrofit homes, install low-carbon technologies and deliver the green infrastructure of the future. But with critical skills shortages across every trade, the question remains: how do we train people quickly, at scale, and to the highest standards?

That was the focus of this live webinar, which brought together policy leaders, training providers and immersive technology experts to explore how innovation can accelerate the green skills agenda. The event was chaired by Jason Holt CBE, CEO and Co-founder of Metaverse Learning, and featured keynote contributions from:

• Rt Hon. Robert Halfon, Executive Director of Make UK and former Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
• Gareth Hassall, Co-Director of Staffordshire Training Services
• Cassandra Baxendale, Business Development Director, Metaverse Learning

The urgency of the green skills challenge

Robert Halfon opened with a compelling overview of the UK’s legally binding net zero commitments and the urgent workforce transformation required to deliver them. He highlighted that:

• The UK must retrofit 20,000 homes a week by 2025 to meet decarbonisation targets, requiring 230,000 trained workers by 2030.
• Construction has the second highest global demand for green talent, with one in five job postings now requiring green skills.
• Fewer than half of construction employers are currently training their workforce, down from 50% in 2011.
• Government funding is being channelled into new technical colleges, apprenticeships, and skills bootcamps but traditional methods alone won’t fill the gap fast enough.

Robert argued that immersive learning must play a central role in upskilling at scale, offering flexible, accessible, and engaging training that reaches learners wherever they are. He praised Metaverse Learning’s approach for “providing a ladder of opportunity for everyone, whatever their background,” and called for immersive methods to be embedded from primary school onwards.

Training providers putting innovation into practice

Gareth Hassall shared real-world impact from Staffordshire Training Services, which implemented Metaverse Learning programmes over 12 months ago to support low-carbon training. The immersive platform has enabled learners to:

• Practise complex tasks in safe, virtual environments, such as heat pump installation and solar thermal systems, before entering real worksites.
• Access remote and flexible learning via Chromebooks and headsets, giving employers and learners more options to train around their schedules.
• Identify and close skills gaps more efficiently, with Ofsted inspectors praising the innovation during recent visits.

The use of immersive learning contributed to Staffordshire Training Services winning an Innovation Award, and has inspired other providers to explore similar approaches.

Immersive technology driving sustainable skills

Cassandra Baxendale showcased how Metaverse Learning’s construction and green skills library is already transforming workforce development. Through realistic scenarios, from carpentry to retrofit assessments, learners can build competence and confidence in a fully interactive environment.

She introduced new developments including:

• A Health and Safety and Construction Consortium, inviting colleges and industry to co-create new programmes that reflect real-world challenges.
• Integration of AI-powered virtual tutors, offering learners real-time Q&A and site tours through agentic AI.
• Augmented reality tools that bring large-scale assets to life without the need for specialist equipment.

Cassandra also previewed CareersVerse, Metaverse Learning’s immersive careers ecosystem launching this month. This platform will connect learners with employers, training pathways, and sector insights, helping to attract new talent into green industries.

Key takeaways

Throughout the Q&A, speakers and attendees reflected on the power of immersive learning to:

• Accelerate skills development without compromising quality.
• Engage young people through familiar technologies like VR and AR.
• Reach hard-to-access communities through affordable, widely available devices.
• Support educators with data-driven insights to refine curriculum.

As Robert Halfon concluded: “We need to be brave and embrace new technologies. If business, government and education come together and use tools like immersive learning wisely, the transition to net zero can be a story of social mobility as well as sustainability.”