Buildings are the major source of global demand for energy and materials that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Slowing and reversing the growth rate of GHG emissions is crucial to address climate change. One key way to reduce and, ultimately, phase out the greenhouse gases produced by the construction industry is transforming the way buildings are designed, built, and operated. To reach climate 2030 goals within the construction industry the need to improve skills of all workers in relation to energy efficient and environmentally-friendly processes, materials and technologies is widely acknowledged.In this scenario is where the BuS.Trainers project was born.The alliance involves key sectoral actors, having all of them either led or participated in the “Build Up Skills” initiatives, committed to skills development in the construction industry and willing to team up to go beyond national roadmaps and experiences. The partnership is made of 11 partners: main sectoral organisations, VET providers and Energy Agencies from five countries of Southern Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Malta), -where a broad range of stakeholders have been gradually involved, with the main objective of jointly developing and delivering a training system to enable Vocational Trainers to better perform teaching in sustainable construction, improving the response of initial and continuous VET systems to the challenges and needs that the construction sector faces in relation to the “de-carbonization” of the European economy.Why betting on upskilling this professional profile?Vocational teachers hold a crucial role for the transfer of knowledge to current and future workers at the construction sector, as a great part of its labour force comes from VET pathways. Based on existing evidences, building up VET trainers’ skills in Energy Efficiency and Renewable energies is the required breakthrough to address the weak link between education and green innovation in the sector, because of the effect of this occupational profile in the whole training supply chain.This way, adapting VET design and provision to skills needs for trainers, will response to current and future workforce skills mismatch in the sector, raising the overall quality and efficiency of VET systems by exploiting the potential of this core profession to impulse a systemic change from base.
Buildings are the major source of global demand for energy and materials that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Slowing and reversing the growth rate of GHG emissions is crucial to address climate change. One key way to reduce and, ultimately, phase out the greenhouse gases produced by the construction industry is transforming the way buildings are designed, built, and operated, as stated at the Europe 2020 Strategy. To reach climate 2020 goals within the construction industry the need to improve skills of all workers in relation to energy efficient and environmentally-friendly processes, materials and technologies is widely acknowledged. Vocational teachers hold a crucial role for the transfer of knowledge to current and future workers at the construction sector, as a great part of its labour force comes from VET pathways. For that reason, BuS.Trainers’ goal is to design and provide ‘green training’ to Vocational trainers to overcome skills mismatch and boost sustainability in the construction sector. Based on existing evidences, building up VET trainers’ skills in Energy Efficiency and Renewable energies is the required breakthrough to address the weak link between education and green innovation in the sector, because of the effect of this occupational profile in the whole training supply chain.With the main objective of jointly develop and deliver a thorough training system for Vocational Trainers to better perform teaching in sustainable construction, several interconnected activities have been implemented:*Research and analysis of green skills demands (labour market and EU policies) and related skills gaps in the occupational profile ‘VET trainers of construction industry’: Report on skills gap (WP2).*Design of a new qualification based on skills needs identified: “Eco-Trainer in the construction industry" qualification (WP3), a trans-national and sectoral qualification for VET trainers in the construction industry, directed towards sustainable and efficient construction in South Europe.*Learning outcome-oriented modularity of the qualification, with 8 modules in a total of 200 learning hours, which allows partial or total accreditation, as well as accreditation through prior learning/experience by means of ECVET (WP3).*Definition of learning outcomes, assessment method and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) following the EQF methodology and underpinned with EQAVET principles (WP4).*Deveolpment of the Eco-trainers online course (WP5).*Development of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainability of the course and its accreditation system (WP6). *Addition of the Eco-trainers course into the Official Maltese Qualification system, thus becoming an official curricula (WP6).*Delivery of the training course for testing the product for a better adjustment to final users –trainers, with the enrolment of more than 170 trainers (WP7).*Involvement of stakeholders at local Info-days and endorsement seminars, paving the way for the uptake of project outcomes, generating interest, raising awareness and attracting attention of key actors, target groups and industry in general (WP8).*Dissemination actions to spread project results and share solutions, enabling a wider community to take advantage from EU funding (WP9).The project shows a positive impact on VET providers enhancing the quality and adequacy of their trainings/classes portfolio and their net of trainers, on vocational trainers that will upgrade their teaching skills according to market needs, on VET trainees and workers who will receive up-to-date knowledge in green skills, on companies who will have better skilled workforce and, finally, on the rest of industry and society who will benefit from the added value of cooperation in green curricula design and delivery to address climate change.