TowaRd market-based skills for sustAINable Energy Efficient construction

Project Information

TRAINEE

Grant agreement ID: 785005

DOI 10.3030/785005

Closed project

EC signature date 25 April 2018

Start date 1 May 2018

End date 31 October 2020

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Secure, clean and efficient energy

Total cost € 877 006,25

EU contribution € 877 006,25

Coordinated by

ECONOMIC CHAMBER OF NORTH MACEDONIA
North Macedonia

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - TRAINEE (TowaRd market-based skills for sustAINable Energy Efficient construction)

Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2020-10-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

• The problem/issue addressed
Project TRAINEE, TowaRd market-based skills for sustAINable Energy Efficient construction http://trainee-mk.eu/en/ addressed the problem of defined skills gaps between current situation and needs for qualified workers and professionals for energy efficient construction through whole value chain of design, operations and maintenance of buildings. The shortage of skilled workers for energy efficiency and renewable energy needs upgrading of national formal and non-formal education system with qualifications and skills for implementation of EE (energy efficiency) and RES (renewable energy sources) measures in buildings.
The TRAINEE Approach is to introduce bottom-up actions that will increase demand for EE skills on micro and mezzo level (investors, companies and professional associations) that lead to betterment of energy efficiency performances of the buildings. Involvement of relevant market actors in market acceptance of EE skills can contribute to improvement of legislation and its enforcement into market.
Implementation of bottom-up approach in boosting demand for EE performances of the buildings is encompassed of:
-support the workforce supply of whole building value chain;
-proofing the evidence for contribution of EE skills in EE performance of the buildings;
-bottom-up approach for rising demand and market recognition of EE skills by increasing visibility.

• Importance for society
The estimated energy-related impact of the project is 20,53 GWh/year energy savings and 0.6 GWh/year renewable energy production triggered during project duration. Also, the project has developed strategic documents that have the potential to rise into national documents (National roadmap for the introduction of BIM, Methodology for Validation of prior learning and Methodology for mutual recognition of skills)

• The overall objectives
The overall objective of TRAINEE is to increase the number of skilled building professionals by:
(1) Further improving the skills of middle and senior level professionals and blue collar workers in the area of sustainable energy-efficient construction, throughout the entire value chain of the building sector, with two expected results (A) Voluntary qualification schemes for 10 occupations and (B) Sustainable training offer through Knowledge and Skills Management Centre.
(2) Enhancing multidisciplinary approach to sustainable construction, and demonstrating performance gap through initiating BIM issue at national level with two expected results (C) initiating BIM (Building Information Modeling) at national level through wide promotion and by developed Roadmap for introduction of BIM and (D) Training schemes for BIM.
(3) Improving market recognition of upgraded construction skills to be tackled by (E) Acceptance of EE skills from professional associations and employers, based on visibility of Registers of certified trainers and professionals; (F) Methodology for mutual recognition of EE skills.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The actions taken for reaching energy-related impact followed the proposed approach and methodology. At the start of the project, the deployed voluntary qualification schemes were upgraded vertically through the value chain for technicians/engineers and architects and horizontally for additional two RES occupations (designers and installers for solar-thermal energy and photovoltaic systems) and four BIM training schemes. Actions were based on the research of EU practice and survey among professionals, workers and companies.
The large-scale piloting of two training schemes (training and RPL) involved more than 500 building professionals and blue-collar workers for EE, RES and BIM skills.
In parallel the introduction of BIM composed of a survey about the level of knowledge and awareness about BIM among relevant stakeholders, selection of BIM software with piloting its usage and BIM training for professionals. These actions were followed with a widespread promotion campaign for BIM benefits and a proposal for a national Roadmap for the introduction of BIM.
Coordinated activities aimed at market visibility and recognition of EE and RES skills as pre-conditions for improvement of EE performances of renovated and new buildings. The nine public events with more than 350 participants and representatives of construction companies were organized about the visibility of training schemes for EE, RES and BIM skills and their benefits. Organized 35 RPL sessions were used as a base for establishing two types of registers: for more than 220 trainers and more than 1350 certified professionals and workers.
The international workshop, wide conference for BIM & market acceptance of EE skills, and the final Award ceremony were organized for more than 600 participants as the project results can be disseminated nationally and regionally.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The areas of project’s Impact are:

1. Enabling Policy
The changes in legislation proposed (Rulebook for energy performance of buildings, draft Methodology for Recognition of prior learning and proposal for Roadmap for introducing BIM on national level in the manner of following EU directives).

2. Building capacities and skills
Technical issues concern to the preparation of innovative schemes and forms for obtaining a voluntary qualification, as the number of qualified workforce, is increased.
Market issues concern the implementation of tools (BIM software and POE tool) for measuring the impact of skilled workers in the actual energy performance and savings. The impact refers to the increase of the level of renovation and usage of EE measures.
The organizational issue is covered by establishing Knowledge and skills management centre as a platform for large market recognition of skilled workers. The multidisciplinary approach is in the background of the work of the K&S Centre with initiated interaction among different occupations. The benefits (already tackled) are market recognition of training schemes and large market acceptance of skilled workers and building professionals.

Progress beyond the state of art

Progress beyond the state of the art concern to bringing innovation in the traditional construction sector. It concerns both:
-acting towards upskilling of the workforce through innovative training schemes, based on market need,
-internationalisation of the training offer of K&S Centre through BUS Advisor app, that resulted from the process of mutual recognition of skills
-introducing innovative approach with digitalization of construction industry, by initiating BIM.

Wider societal implications of the project results particularly refer to achievements not necessarily related to planned impacts of the project, but already identified as actions that has triggered national attention:
-developing proposal for an occupational standard for RES installers, that doesn’t exist in the national list of occupational standards;
-proposing designed Register of certified professionals https://ks.org.mk/en/public-search/ as template database for creating the national List of certified installers for RES (according to RES Directive 2018/2001/EU);
-considering the Proposal Roadmap for introducing BIM by the authorities as template for creation of national document.

Participants and team at 3rd BIM promo event,23 april 2019

TRAINEE's BIM team

Presentation via electronic comunication

TRAINEE team at EU BIM summit in Barcelona, 11-12 april 2019

Part of TRAINEE promotional printed materials

Press conference

Virtuel International workshop for EU replication of project results

First classes in RES trainings

PROJECT TEAM pre-pandemic photo

TRAINEE team at Digital construction skills in Barcelona, 16 may 2019

Project team at Kick-off meeting working part

Award ceremony photo

Event (award ceremony) in pandemic conditions

Virtuel International workshop for EU replication of project results (2)

Issuing certificated of RES trainings, 17 september 2019