Inspiring demand for sustainable energy skills, by providing clear learning interactions, transparency of upskilling transactions and recognition of qualifications achieved.
The BUILD UP Skills BEET project aimed at introducing voluntary qualification schemes as well as 5 different training programmes to build up the energy efficiency skills of building sector workers. The project focused on the following occupational fields: building envelope, glassing, roofing, energy infrastructure and HVAC systems. This ensured coverage of all occupational fields identified and prioritized in the national Roadmap established under Pillar I of the BUILD UP Skills initiative.
Construction skills, Energy efficiency, Regulating supply chains, Tackling climate change.
BIM-based EU -wide Standardised Qualification Framework for achieving Energy Efficiency Training.
Towards a learning building sector by setting up a large-scale and flexible qualification methodology integrating technical, cross-craft and BIM related skills and competence.
The project aims to develop tools and methodologies to set up training systems to increase the knowledge, skills and competences of workers in the field of buildings refurbishment in order to intensify the introduction of Renewable Energy Sources and improve Energy Efficiency in the old as well as in the new buildings to reach Almost Nearly Zero Building (ANZB) stocks by 2020.
The Austrian BUILD UP Skills Initiative is a main step to increase the qualification level of craftsmen, construction workers and system installers in the building sector. The project “BUILD UP Skills Austria” initiated a national strategic process that brought together all relevant actors in the field of qualification, training and education in order to develop national strategies to improve the skills of blue collar workers in the building sector.
The main target of the project was the set-up and the endorsement of a national qualification roadmap. Due to all relevant Austrian stakeholders could be actively involved into the development process the majority of stakeholders underlined there effort to support the implementation of the roadmap by signing an endorsement document. The target of the Austrian BUILD UP Skills Initiative is to ensure an optimal contribution to the national and European energy objectives till 2020.
In the environmental field the 20-20-20 climate targets have been formulated by the EU. In concrete terms it is being postulated that by 2020:
- emissions of greenhouse gases will be cut by 20%,
- a 20% share of energy end-use will be from renewable energy sources and
- there will be a 20% saving in energy demand.
The construction sector can make an immense contribution to help society meet these targets. This means, among other things, that there will need to be an increase in the number of qualified workers. The transposition of these developments into appropriate craftsmanship and the qualifications they entail, training in short, perhaps constitutes the greatest challenge.
The European Community shares this concern. For this reason a call for projects was issued from the European authorities for projects to be set up in the various member states which would help in ensuring that the workers’ qualification level is of a nature such that they are capable of erecting and renovating buildings that meet the new requirements. Build Up Skills Belgium is a consortium consisting of fvb-ffc Constructiv [the Belgian construction industry training fund], BBRI, VEA [the Flemish Energy Agency] and SPW-DGO4 [the Walloon Public Service for Planning, Housing, Heritage and Energy]. They are conducting research jointly in order to achieve the project target. In order to prepare the existing workforce for the future demands, this project will:
1. Analyse the current state of affairs.
2. Gather all relevant stakeholders in the field of EE, RES and the training of construction workers. Stakeholders will include public and private organisations in the field of Vocational Education and Training (VET), public bodies that develop policies in the field of EE and RES, Social partners
3. The platform will then develop a roadmap to 2020.
Reaching of the 2020 energy and climate change objectives represents a major challenge to the construction sector, which needs to be ready to deliver high energy performing renovations and, in particular, nearly zero energy buildings. This goal requires a major effort to increase the number of qualified workers, which is directly related to the quality of the educational programmes and the inclusion of training on intelligent EE and RE solutions in buildings. This project is designed to:
• perform an analysis of the national education system, political and legislative framework and market demand for skilled workers and build a common basis for informed discussions within the national platform;
• provide detailed description of the needs for specific training activities in a coherent framework;
• develop a Roadmap for Trainings on Intelligent Energy Solutions in Buildings: pave the way for overcoming of the identified barriers and gaps in order to meet the 2020 targets in the building sector.
• undertake targeted endorsement campaign involving the relevant state authorities.