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.