ARISE PROJECT - Workshop on effective market implementation of sustainable energy and digital skills in construction sector
On 10 th September 2024, the ARISE Project organized an International Workshop on market implementation of sustainable energy and digital skills in the construction sector.
Designed as an online communication event, the main objective of the ARISE International Workshop was to allow the stakeholders of the building supply chain, from different countries, to share experiences and opinions on market demand and implementation of competencies in sustainable energy and digital skills, in the procurement of building projects.
Through a unique combination of presentation and discussion sessions, during which ARISE main achievements were presented and discussed with over 50 participants from more than 10 countries (UK, IE, PT, MK, NL,IT, BE, CR, EL, DK, etc.), with a variety of professional profiles in policy, procurement, academia, and industry.
Share of opinions, suggestions, and examples of good practices had transnational dimensions, as it was conducted through three modes of communication among the participants an interactive dashboard, live discussion and share of suggestions in online chat form.
The main takeaways were:
- There is a recognized need and recognized benefits at both supply and demand side, for including competences in sustainable energy anddigital skills in requerments of procureement of building projects,
- To start or intensify reforms in procurement in this direction, a set of measures needs to be considered, developed and deployed,
- All actors need should get involved and know their roles and responsibility of the process,
- Including private sector is very important, as most of the building stock (about 70 percent) are privately owned buildings,
- In the same time with starting / ongoing national reforms, efforts towards an internatonal common approach for recognition of skills should be enforced,
- International platforms enabling communication channels for share of best practices, such as ARISE, have an importnat role and ameaningful impact for the reforms initiation and start,
- ARISE demonstrated and tested prototype of approach and method of learning was found a way forward to resolve access to education and contribute to the increased demand for competencies in procurement:
- By its format of delivery that is suitable and feasible for professionals ( online, blended, micro modules, training plan, accumulative, non linear, customizable)
- By the way of recording the upskilling and facilitating cross region recognition ( micro badges)
- with a Framework that addresses the shortage of skills (4 groups, task based- micromodule framework)
The European construction sector opinions, collected during the event will be used by the project team to develop recommendations to all European countries to adopt a common approach for sustainable energy and digital skills demand and recognition, through a Framework of effective intervention strategies, impacts and advancement in policy, regulatory, financial stimulus and professional education improvements.
ARISE e-learning platform on BIM and applied energy efficiency tools. ARISE webinars for Trainees (17 th January 2024) and Trainers (21 st February 2024), Webinar recordings.
ACE has organised two successful webinars with the collaboration with BUILDUP Team in January and February 2024 on the topic of “ARISE e-learning platform on BIM and applied energy efficiency tools” addressed to Trainees and Trainers.
The EU funded project ARISE has launched the e-learning platform on BIM and energy efficiency in buildings for the design and construction sector. This e-learning platform provides micro-learning units available anywhere, anytime. The platform covers an introduction to BIM terms and definitions, BIM benefits, and BIM tools for energy. The short duration learning modules offer clear and straightforward content adapted to the busy life of professionals and workers. The learning pathway can be personalised to match the skill gap of each learner. In less than an hour of study, the learning units provide clear, straightforward content relevant to the working lives of professionals. The e-learning platform is a powerful tool for improving the skills of teams based in different locations. The e-learning platform is very crucial for the professional and workers upskilling and re-skilling is the cornerstone of the implementation of the digital transformation in the design and construction industry. Innovative learning methodologies, materials and tools are the foundation to reduce the labour shortage and increase the offer of digital skilled professionals.
First Webinar for Trainees: The first webinar provided information by ARISE Partner and Curriculum Area Manager Construction & The Built Environment Belfast Metropolitan College, Andrew Hamilton, on the topic of "Digitalization to the Built Environment: ARISE Approach." The presentation on the digital transformation of the design and construction sector addresses the labour shortages, the new interface of upskilling training, and the benefits driven by the digitalization of the sector. Among other topics, Andrew Hamilton outlined how the ARISE training methodology is flexible allowing people to step on or step off, recognising the various points of their career and educational experience to date. And also, for those with no educational experience, to bring them on board and align them to gain the skills they need to have jobs and roles across the various sectors. Besides, ARISE partner and Researcher at TUDublin Ryan Dempsey discussed on the topic of "ARISE e-learning platform and the microlearning contents" which are already available on the ARISE Platform website. He presented what will be offered to the user, such as the deployment of different tools and teaching methods to cater for different learning styles. The last part of the webinar provided information about the ARISE offers presented by ARISE partner and Responsible for the international affairs BuildingSmart Italy - IBIMI Anna Moreno. At the end of the session, most of the Trainees were interested in the ARISE e-learning platform and the contents of the platform that ARISE offers. The majority were also interested in learning about ARISE platform developers and content creators, modules, module contents, badges, and certification. If you miss the first webinar, catch up with the video recording here.
Second Webinar for Trainers: The second webinar started with a session about ‘Digitalisation to the Built Environment – ARISE approach’, which delved into the improvement digitalisation can bring to the building sector. Paul McCormack from the Belfast Metropolitan College. Then, Ryan Dempsey from TUDublin gave an overview of the ARISE platform and how trainers can use it as an e-learning tool and highlighted that trainers could use the ARISE platform as a learning materials database to tailor the courses for specific users’ classes. The final part of the webinar focused on ARISE framework by Jaap Kolk from Building Changes focusing on the ARISE framework structure, which comprehends BIM application, utilisation, support, and basics. He highlighted that the ARISE learning framework also helps within projects, by linking the skills needed to the people providing them. The webinar ended with an interactive podium discussion, facilitating an exchange of questions between the speakers and the audience. If you miss the second webinar, catch up with the video recording here.
Create your account and sign up for free at ARISE e-learning platform modules here.
The need for upskilling within the industry - NI Builder Magazine article
Find NI Builder Magazine article: “The Need for Upskilling within the Industry” in the last page of the magazine: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/816902763/98/
Digital Transformations - building services engineering article
Find the full article on the building services engineering website.
If industry is to develop and leverage its digital skills for energy efficient construction, and increase its competitiveness, it will be driven via the skills of the workforce. Upskilling must be demand-driven, demand both from the industry perspective and from the workers in the industry. It is this “meeting of demands” that will lead to success in meeting the needs of industry, society and the environment.
Digital transformation is a topical subject for all of industry and is seen as a key organisational strategy to support sustainable growth, especially in industries such as construction which is seen as a technology laggard. BIM is recognised as one of the main digital tools that are critical enablers that can embed digital processes within organisations. Specifically, the information management processes within BIM help companies in transforming traditional information processes and turning the information into data that is easier handled, used and analysed.
ARISE Launch
Belfast Metropolitan College launched their new £1.12 million European digital construction project, ‘ARISE’ in the 2 days KICK OFF meeting 1st and 2nd September 2021.
ARISE aims to revolutionise the learning process by changing the face of delivery and recognition of sustainable energy skills in the building sector.
ARISE’s mission is to support the twin transition of the design and construction sector and to contribute thereby to the European Recovery and Resilience Plans 2021 -2027, by providing the building sector professionals with digital and sustainable energy skills of the future, along with demand-side guidelines for marketable appreciation of skills and exploitation of benefits thereof.
The nine partners in the project consortium are:
- Belfast Metropolitan College, Northern Ireland
- Technological University Dublin, Ireland
- Institute for Research in Environment, Civil Engineering and Energy, North Macedonia
- ISSO, Netherlands
- Architects’ Council of Europe, Belgium
- IBIMI Institute for BIM, Italy
- Building Changes, BV, Netherlands
- Copenhagen School of Design and Technology, Denmark
- Instituto Superior Technico, Portugal.
On the opening launch day on Wednesday, September 1, Belfast Met Innovation Manager and ARISE Programme Manager, Paul McCormack gave an introduction and outlined the challenges and objectives for the 30-month programme.
Louise Warde Hunter, Principal and Chief Executive of Belfast Met also addressed the opening day audience with: “Today’s ARISE launch reinforces Belfast Met’s commitment to engage in international partnerships and applied Research & Development, working in innovative ways with industry to meet the emerging skills needs of the economy at home and abroad. “
“Our People, our Planet, and our Partnerships are key to addressing the interconnected challenges of sustainability at TU Dublin. The ARISE project creates a positive impact by addressing real-world challenges in the construction sector through the upskilling of individuals to reach their infinite potential. ARISE leverages learning post-Covid, by offering bite-size educational units through a digital mobile curriculum to enable learning opportunities that are accessible and sustainable in our daily lives.” Stated Ms Jennifer Boyer, Vice President of Sustainability, Technological University Dublin, one of the nine European partners on the project, which has Belfast Met as the lead partner.
The funding for the project was gained through the EU Horizon 2020 Work Programme. Ms Amadine De Coster-Lacourt, Project Advisor, (CINEA), European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, highlighted that: “ARISE will contribute to the Green Deal and the Renovation Wave objectives by facilitating recognition of sustainable energy skills in the built environment and increasing demand for those skills”.
The distinct work packages work to be carried out by the partners were discussed and detailed Work Packages.
- WP1 MANAGE Belfast Met
- WP2 BENCHMARK energy & digitalisation skills IBIMI - Italy
- WP3 DESIGN framework ISSO The Netherlands
- WP4 DEVELOP autonomy e-engine KEA - Denmark
- WP5 FILL agility e-tools TU Dublin
- WP6 PILOT Digital Pathway energise Belfast Met
- WP7 REPLICATE market implementation IECE Macedonia
- WP8 COMMUNICATE dissemination & exploitation ACE Belgium
Martin Lennon, Director, (OHMG), O Hare McGovern stated: “The early involvement of OHMG with (previous project) BIMcert was the platform that escalated our BIM journey, ensuring we remained at the forefront of digital innovation.
“ We are delighted to once again join with BMET and their international partners, at the start of their ARISE project journey. The result of this partnership will ensure OHMG have a skilled workforce who will have the knowledge, experience and competencies to deliver on the Government’s Construction 2025: Strategy”.
Mark Baldwin, Building Smart International, in Switzerland added: “Competency assurance is a significant aspect contributing to the success and sustainability of the digitalization of the built asset industry.”
ARISE will revolutionise the learning process by monetizing skills development and learning exchange with a digital system based on skills recognition rather than accreditation. The training and transaction system developed by the project will reward learners as they achieve competence at a certain level with the cryptocurrency for skills exchange - CERTcoin – the innovative currency of skills and learning of the design and construction sector embracing today’s digital transformation benefits. This reward-based on skills and time credits will be stored in an Individual Learning Account and can be used as digital points accumulation for example in a skills barometer or for exchanging it into valid certificates. It will be an easier accessible, less time consuming and still competitive way to up-skill design and construction professionals and workers, as well as market demand side – public administration, clients and owners.
ARISE will apply digitalisation both as a learning method and as a framework of job-based construction skills of the future, multiplying the effects of the green transition skills. The novel training method will make the learning process attractive and effective, facilitating its accessibility through a mobile (smartphone) and a user-friendly web-based platform. The intervention/learning progress will be achieved in a scalable way, in bite-sized skills delivery. ARISE will apply digitalisation and the earning of learning credits in a "step by step" recognition of competencies, as an accelerator to empower demand for sustainable energy skills in the desing and construction sector, and as an enabler of formal certification. This system will be employed based on blockchain procedures to instil transparency and trust.
Within 30 months, until February 2024, partners will work on the development and demonstration of the innovative on-demand training scheme for digitalisation towards sustainable energy skills, aimed at both supply and demand sides.
Revolutionising the learning process by changing the face of delivery and recognition of sustainable energy skills in the construction sector
That’s the target for the ARISE project team as they seek to deliver their new EU wide skills and training project, boosting thereby market uptake of qualified workforce.
ARISE has secured a €1.12M grant from the Horizon 2020 Work Program: Building a Low-Carbon, Climate Resilient Future: Secure, Clean and Efficient Energy, under the Call: Increasing Market Demand for Sustainable Energy Skills in the Building Sector.
ARISE’s mission is to support the twin transition of the construction sector and to contribute thereby to the European Recovery and Resilience Plans 2021-2027, by providing the construction sector workforce with digital and sustainable energy skills of the future, along with demand-side guidelines for marketable appreciation of skills and exploitation of benefits thereof.
Through a highly innovative approach, ARISE will deploy a system coupling methodology and approach, and encompassing:
1) Skills delivery method;
2) Learning accounts transaction and recognition;
3) Matrix of skills maturity, leading to new qualifications and jobs;
4) Profession–based learning content;
5) Impacts of skills on buildings’ energy performance;
6) New market and regulatory models of skills demand; and
7) Stimulation of investments in high energy performance buildings.
Engaged in the project demonstration stage, over 1000 stakeholders across Europe will improve their skills and competences, providing therefore project induced impact of over 4.5 million kWh/year of energy savings, 2.25 million kWh/ year of RES energy generation, reduction of GHG emissions by over 3.5 tons/year and initiation of 1.3 million EUR/year of investments in NZEBs. As a long–term cumulative impact, ARISE aims to contribute by over 75 million kWh of clean energy use in buildings and over 8,7 million EUR of green investments.
ARISE will revolutionise the learning process by monetising skills development and learning exchange with a digital system based on skills recognition rather than accreditation. The training and transaction system developed by the project will reward learners as they achieve competence at a certain level with the crypto currency for skills exchange: CERTcoin, the innovative currency of skills and learning of the construction sector embracing today’s digital transformation benefits. The learners’ CERTcoins, based on skills and time credits will be stored in an Individual Learning Account and can be used as digital points accumulation for example in a skills barometer or for exchanging it into valid certificates. It will be an easier accessible, less time consuming and still competitive way to upskill blue and white collars, as well as market-demand side, public administration, clients and owners
ARISE will apply digitalisation both as a learning method and as a framework of job-based construction skills of the future, multiplying the effects of the green transition skills. The novel training method will make the learning process attractive and effective, facilitating its accessibility through a mobile (smartphone) and a user–friendly, web-based platform. The intervention / learning progress will be achieved in a scalable way, in bite-sized skills delivery. ARISE will apply digitalisation and the earning of learning credits in a "step by step" recognition of competences, as an accelerator to empower demand for sustainable energy skills in the construction sector, and as an enabler of formal certification. This system will be employed based on blockchain procedures to instil transparency and trust.
ARISE utilises a circular economy approach specifically utilising digital skills stimulation and delivery across the entire building life cycle and assets to decarbonise the complete energy cycle. This approach harnesses the market drivers from the demand side and matches these with impact targeted strategies and objectives required to achieve comprehensive success. ARISE represents a multi faceted approach to tackle the carbon footprint of the construction sector. It is a pioneering training scheme AND a powerful socio - economic cross sectional influencer, affecting the multiple sectors of education, industry, market, and policy by delivering a dynamic training and market uptake model
The project led by Belfast Metropolitan College with eight other European partners will be launched in September 2021. Within 28 months, until December 2023, partners will work on development and demonstration of the innovative on demand training scheme for digitalisation towards sustainable energy skills, aimed at both supply and demand side.
The nine partners in the project consortium are:
- Belfast Metropolitan College, Northern Ireland
- Technological University Dublin, Ireland
- Institute for Research in Environment, Civil Engineering and Energy, North Macedonia
- ISSO, The Netherlands
- Conseil des Architectes D Europe Brussels
- IBIMI Institute for BIM- Italy
- Building Changes, B.V. The Netherlands
- Copenhagen School of Design and Technology Denmark
- Instituto Superior Technico, Portugal