Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BUS-GoCircular (Stimulate demand for sustainable energy skills with circularity as a driver and multifunctional green use of roofs, façades and interior elements as focus.)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2022-11-30
During their lifetime of operation, buildings are responsible for 40% of EU final energy consumption, and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. The embodied emissions from the 5 rest of the building life cycle are estimated to contribute at least a further 10%. Building with, as opposed to over, nature has long been perceived as more of a burden than an opportunity. And this is a shame—because by working smartly together, we can build a better living environment for people, for nature and for the built environment sector itself. A built environment that is less wasteful, more resourceful and that supports nature. A greater uptake of circular approaches means generating less waste, facilitating greater reuse and recycling of products and materials at the end of each service life, and helping to reduce the environmental impacts and life cycle costs.
BUILD UP Skills GoCircular (BUS-GoCircular) is an EU funded project that aims to "stimulate demand for sustainable energy skills with circularity as a driver focusing on multifunctional green use of roofs, façades and interior elements". The project exists under the Horizon 2020 programme. The duration of the project is 30 months, starting from 1st September 2021. The overall aim of BUS-GoCircular is to address and overcome the challenges of the stimulation of demand for green energy skilled workforce, along with hands-on capacity building to increase the number of skilled workforce across the value chain. BUS-GoCircular will achieve this objective by developing and implementing a circular construction skills qualification framework with a focus on multifunctional green roofs, façades and interior elements.
This is worked out in the following five specific qualitative objectives:
— Developing a circular construction skills qualification framework.
— Stimulating market demand for circularity skills.
— Developing recognition schemes and conducting pilot courses.
— Improving the reputation of the construction sector and attracting women and youth to circular skills professions.
— Expanding BUS-GoCircular at national and EU-level by developing and implementing a communication and replication strategy.
BUILD UP Skills GoCircular (BUS-GoCircular) is an EU funded project that aims to "stimulate demand for sustainable energy skills with circularity as a driver focusing on multifunctional green use of roofs, façades and interior elements". The project exists under the Horizon 2020 programme. The duration of the project is 30 months, starting from 1st September 2021. The overall aim of BUS-GoCircular is to address and overcome the challenges of the stimulation of demand for green energy skilled workforce, along with hands-on capacity building to increase the number of skilled workforce across the value chain. BUS-GoCircular will achieve this objective by developing and implementing a circular construction skills qualification framework with a focus on multifunctional green roofs, façades and interior elements.
This is worked out in the following five specific qualitative objectives:
— Developing a circular construction skills qualification framework.
— Stimulating market demand for circularity skills.
— Developing recognition schemes and conducting pilot courses.
— Improving the reputation of the construction sector and attracting women and youth to circular skills professions.
— Expanding BUS-GoCircular at national and EU-level by developing and implementing a communication and replication strategy.
All the necessary infrastructure and management of the project necessary to perform all administrative, financial and operational tasks were provided. This includes organizing the project consortium kick-off meeting, two consortium meetings and five project management meetings, meeting minutes for each meeting drafted and accepted, a Google Drive environment implemented for file sharing, ensuring all partners sign the Consortium Agreement.
A holistic, flexible and interdisciplinary qualification framework allowing recognition of skilled professionals and supporting the composition of the needed upskilling training supply was delivered. The framework addresses circular skills for renovating the built environment with the aim of improved energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. It focuses on renovation of buildings and its functioning in districts and neighborhoods. Market validation of the compiled qualification framework was achieved through 3 small focus group sessions per country (2-10 people). Outcomes were analysed and compiled to represent an extract of all shared opinions, and to serve further as a guide for improving the framework and as a starting point for implementation on a national scale.
A train the trainer (TtT) programme that addresses application of the two developed frameworks (the Circular Economy interventions in the construction value chain framework and the Circular Construction Skills qualification framework) is being developed. Training materials were assessed, opportunities and challenges formulated and recommendations for the TtT programme are developed. The first edition took place in January 2023 resulting in 16 trained trainers. In addition to the Train-the-Trainer programme, a mentoring programme, to transfer experience and best practices from experienced professionals, was designed. To enable SMEs to train their staff in an attractive, short and low-cost way content and methodology proposal for to be developed “BUS-GoCircular Fundamental Training Packs” is delivered.
The development of skills is being stimulated on both the demand and supply side. The BUILD UP Skills advisor app (BUS-app) is being used to provide formal and informal skill recognition on the developed qualification, together with an actual overview of training supply and upskilling micro-learnings. To exploit public sector levers to boost demand for skilled professionals a draft of a policy brief has been started. This is meant to serve as a guidance document for policymakers at all levels that covers all the policy levers available to them to stimulate demand for circular construction skills. Also, a structure for the training materials for public procurers has been proposed. To involve product manufacturers and providers in a circular approach, a list of potential collaborators has been as well as a template partners can use to contact the actors of interest. Finally, to incentivize SME’s to upskill their workforce, a list of questions has been created for SMEs and for material producers/suppliers to address the meetings with these agents.
Relating to the implementation of results, besides the aforementioned TtT and mentoring program, during the first six months of the project national implementation plans (one for each of the participating countries) were updated. In the same period, 7 stakeholders´ maps were developed and one at EU level. In each of the countries an External Advisory Board (EAB) was established mostly based on the stakeholders´ map and the same was done at EU level. Collaboration with these EABs has already started. Finally, a strategy for supporting the organization of follow-up national implementation boosters has been developed.
Relating to the long- term utilization of the main results from the project on national and EU- level a definition of key exploitable results was elaborated. Here, the four pre-defined key exploitable results in the project are stated and a thorough analysis of aspects related to the current state of business and evaluation of future market possibilities developed.
Finally, to guarantee professional and public coverage of the project results and achievements, professional communication means have been developed and implemented.
A holistic, flexible and interdisciplinary qualification framework allowing recognition of skilled professionals and supporting the composition of the needed upskilling training supply was delivered. The framework addresses circular skills for renovating the built environment with the aim of improved energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. It focuses on renovation of buildings and its functioning in districts and neighborhoods. Market validation of the compiled qualification framework was achieved through 3 small focus group sessions per country (2-10 people). Outcomes were analysed and compiled to represent an extract of all shared opinions, and to serve further as a guide for improving the framework and as a starting point for implementation on a national scale.
A train the trainer (TtT) programme that addresses application of the two developed frameworks (the Circular Economy interventions in the construction value chain framework and the Circular Construction Skills qualification framework) is being developed. Training materials were assessed, opportunities and challenges formulated and recommendations for the TtT programme are developed. The first edition took place in January 2023 resulting in 16 trained trainers. In addition to the Train-the-Trainer programme, a mentoring programme, to transfer experience and best practices from experienced professionals, was designed. To enable SMEs to train their staff in an attractive, short and low-cost way content and methodology proposal for to be developed “BUS-GoCircular Fundamental Training Packs” is delivered.
The development of skills is being stimulated on both the demand and supply side. The BUILD UP Skills advisor app (BUS-app) is being used to provide formal and informal skill recognition on the developed qualification, together with an actual overview of training supply and upskilling micro-learnings. To exploit public sector levers to boost demand for skilled professionals a draft of a policy brief has been started. This is meant to serve as a guidance document for policymakers at all levels that covers all the policy levers available to them to stimulate demand for circular construction skills. Also, a structure for the training materials for public procurers has been proposed. To involve product manufacturers and providers in a circular approach, a list of potential collaborators has been as well as a template partners can use to contact the actors of interest. Finally, to incentivize SME’s to upskill their workforce, a list of questions has been created for SMEs and for material producers/suppliers to address the meetings with these agents.
Relating to the implementation of results, besides the aforementioned TtT and mentoring program, during the first six months of the project national implementation plans (one for each of the participating countries) were updated. In the same period, 7 stakeholders´ maps were developed and one at EU level. In each of the countries an External Advisory Board (EAB) was established mostly based on the stakeholders´ map and the same was done at EU level. Collaboration with these EABs has already started. Finally, a strategy for supporting the organization of follow-up national implementation boosters has been developed.
Relating to the long- term utilization of the main results from the project on national and EU- level a definition of key exploitable results was elaborated. Here, the four pre-defined key exploitable results in the project are stated and a thorough analysis of aspects related to the current state of business and evaluation of future market possibilities developed.
Finally, to guarantee professional and public coverage of the project results and achievements, professional communication means have been developed and implemented.
As the energy transition of the built environment is speeding up the importance of circular skills is growing rapidly. Thus, strengthening the demand for BUS-GoCircular outcomes.
We expect in the second half of the project a sound implementation in and outside the countries involved.
We expect in the second half of the project a sound implementation in and outside the countries involved.