Abstract:

Construye 2020+ aims at boosting green employment in the construction industry by promoting training and professional accreditation in Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Systems and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings. The project aims to boost the transition towards sustainable and energy efficient construction by defining and developing an updated training and accreditation scheme in green skills. It is based on online training, incorporating BIM and LEAN methodology in a transversal way.

It is crucial to give a green approach in Vocational and Education Training related to the construction sector for the reduction of greenhouse gases and energy savings in buildings. Green skills are not always included Vocational Training programs, what results in an under-skilled workforce in terms of energy Efficiency. This fact limits the effectiveness of energy efficiency measures, due to the disconnection between building design and maintenance.

In order for sustainable construction to be effective, it is necessary to upskill the workforce with knowledge and skills related to Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Systems and Nearly Zero Energy Buildings.

Construye2020+ addresses this challenge through the following objectives:
1. To develop a common integrated and updated capacity building framework based on a participative methodology, named Quintuple Helix. This model of cooperation allows key actors from the academic, business, political, social and environmental worlds of the construction sector to define national priorities in the vocational training system and the creation of umbrella networks to promote the training of workers in the sector, developing accreditation models that adapt to the challenges of the sector, the market and the clients.
2. To train blue-collars, mid-level and senior professionals in standard sectoral competences while improving the understanding of cross-cutting activities. The improvement of professionals' green competences seeks not only the updating but their recognition.
3. To involve SMEs in the principles of sustainable construction and in the training of workers. The professional qualification in Energy Audit will also be developed, based on the requirements established in Directive 2012/27/EU (Royal Decree 56/2016 in Spain).
4. Create a new sectoral skills standard for sector workers, Green Tag, recognising green skills in the construction industry. This standardisation process will allow a system of mutual recognition of competences in terms of learning outcomes (EQF2), which will be transferred at European level. The recognition and effective use of the eco-label will be promoted along the value chain and its professional profiles.
5. Develop effective awareness raising, dissemination and knowledge transfer actions to reach all key actors and target groups (workforce, market, final customers) and maximise the impact of the proposed measures beyond national borders. The results will be presented and disseminated at a broad national level.

Keywords:

Construction, vocational training, green skills, new standards, blended training.