The decarbonisation of construction plays a fundamental role in achieving the European objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewable energies and improving energy efficiency, as the sector is responsible for 40% of CO2 emissions on the continent.
The transition to an emission-neutral economy is a challenge that requires a training effort across the entire construction value chain. In order to identify what training is necessary for professionals in the sector to design and implement energy-efficient renovations and nearly zero-energy buildings in an appropriate manner, the Fundación Laboral de la Construcción, together with the other partners of the ‘Construye 2030’ project, has prepared a study on the current situation of the construction sector in Spain.
The report covers the latest developments and national strategies affecting construction, the sector’s contribution to climate goals and analyses the response of the education system to the demand for green skills in construction. The main conclusions on the current state of the sector are grouped into the following six points, related to energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies, with a special focus on the field of training:
Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies
According to the experts consulted, Spain has an adequate strategic, legislative and regulatory framework to address energy targets. However, a large number of buildings need adjustments to contribute more to existing climate and energy regulations, which means that to achieve the decarbonisation of the sector, a comprehensive refurbishment of existing buildings is necessary. The European Green Pact, the Renovation Surge and the Next Generation funds are an opportunity to finance such retrofits and achieve climate targets.
However, it is necessary to activate the demand for retrofitting or nearly zero energy buildings, and it is therefore considered essential to raise awareness in society of the benefits and risks of not working towards sustainable construction.
The construction sector
There is a significant lack of labour in rehabilitation and a shortage of students in the professional family of building and civil works. In addition, there is a lack of generational replacement and the average age of professionals is increasing year after year, so it is necessary to put in place mechanisms to increase the attraction of labour to the sector.
One possible response to this lack of interest in the sector would be the implementation of initiatives by the administration and the sectoral social agents with the aim of improving the attractiveness of the sector.
Role of the administration
The administration must take a step forward and promote the training offer for the benefit of itineraries in energy efficiency and renewable energies that continue over time, allowing training to be planned in the medium term. In addition, it would also be necessary to allocate resources to strengthen the dissemination of vocational training, especially the medium-level vocational training cycles.
Training
The experts consulted advocate the need for construction training to be more attractive and better recognised. In this sense, it is proposed to:
- Promote the accreditation of competences through experience;
- To work on a model of continuous, specialised and multidisciplinary training, which would allow for better integration of new developments in the sector, providing with the incorporation of students into the labour market;
- That the offer of micro-skills be one of the solutions to the difficulty of combining work and training.
According to the study, the professional profiles with the greatest need for training in the execution of works with sustainability criteria are specialists in: waterproofing, smart meters, green roofs and façades, and in domotic and inmotic management systems.
Most in-demand profiles
Focusing on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies, experts consider that the most in-demand positions in on-site execution tasks are currently those related to installation processes (plumbing, electricity, air conditioning, etc.).
Emerging profiles
The emerging profiles in construction related to energy efficiency identified are: solar energy installer designer, specialist in structures, industrialised construction worker, renewable energy installation and execution technician, zero emission construction worker, installation automation worker, expert in circular economy business models, refurbishment manager, eco-designer, energy community manager, sustainable landscaping development, expert in energy certification and sustainability seals, urban gardens and financial technician expert in installations.
