In order to renovate energy-efficient buildings and build new near-zero energy buildings, skilled workers are needed. And this is one of the main objectives of the Construye 2030 project: to identify what training needs exist among workers along the whole chain of the construction sector that will support the sector in its transition to a cleaner sector.
All the partners of the ‘Construye 2030’ project must organise a seminar to support the project, making it known to the different actors related to the sector and enabling them to contribute their knowledge and experience to the project. Furthermore, if they consider it to be of interest, they will be part of the National Qualification Platform.
In this context, last 4th of July, the Fundación Estatal para el Empleo (Fundae) organised the II Support Seminar within the BUILD UP Skills ‘Construye 2030’ project, where 25 participants attended, including experts from different areas of the construction sector and the project partners.
The welcome was given by Carmen Prieto, head of the Evaluation, Studies and Training Organisation Unit and Head of Digitalízate and the Google Grants programme at Fundae.
A series of focus groups were then held with these experts so that they could contribute their knowledge and experience to identify the skills gaps in the sector, the available training offer, and possible actions to be taken.
Two questions were posed to the experts: Do workers have the necessary skills to achieve the 2030 objectives? and Does the necessary skills exist at university, vocational and continuing training level? The following conclusions were drawn:
With regard to skills, the experts point out that traditional ways of working methods predominate and there is a need for greater awareness among the different trades in the sector in order to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. However, there is a need to attract workers to the courses, as they believe that the methods already known are effective. In addition, a survey of the sector is deemed necessary to analyse the existing skills as well as the skills needed to achieve the sustainability goals.
The next part concerns training and the existing offer. It has been concluded that training exists, but that it is not adapted to the needs of the 2030 objectives.It is also necessary to combat some of the barriers that make it difficult to access training, which is why it must be made economically viable and take into account the characteristics of the sector, taking into account working hours.
Finally, proposals for action were shared, including the definition of competences (in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities) depending on the type of professional; dissemination in companies of the benefits and importance of having workers trained in the areas covered by the 2030 Objectives; and attracting women and young people to the sector to reduce the gender and generational gap.
The conclusions obtained in this support seminar have helped to update the Status Quo, one of the results foreseen in the ‘Construye 2030’ project. The study includes a chapter analysing the current situation of the sector in terms of education and training in areas related to energy efficiency and, in general, what contributes to the achievement of the 2030 energy and climate targets.
As the seminar was about professional skills in the construction sector to align them with the needs of the labour market and contribute to the green transition, the seminar was registered among the activities developed in the framework of the European Year of Skills.
