Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 1 - TRAINEE (TowaRd market-based skills for sustAINable Energy Efficient construction)
Teaser
• The problem/issue addressedProject 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...
Summary
• 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
Republic of North Macedonia, harmonized energy efficiency policy with European legislation and set national energy savings targets to be achieved till 2020 as part of European Energy Union. The share of Building sector\'s contribution in energy savings targets is 36,13%. The construction sector has faced with permanent need for qualified workers through all value channels. TRAINEE project impact aims at decreasing the shortage of skilled workforce by implementation of Roadmap priority measures (https://www.buildup.eu/sites/default/files/bus_projects/en_roadmap_bus-mk_1.pdf), through acting in three areas: (a) Enabling policy by draft proposals for changes in Rulebooks for EE performance in buildings and adopted methodology for RPL; (b) Building capacity and skills in two sectors: construction and education and knowledge sector; and (c) Market recognition of EE skills.
Estimated energy-related impact of the project is 16,37 GWh/year energy savings and 0.1 GWh/year renewable energy production triggered during project duration.
• 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
In reporting period TRAINEE approximately 60 % of planned activities are realized, with 24 submitted out of 35 planned deliverables and 5 met out of 6 milestones.
The achieved results concern to involvement of stakeholders in project activities; development of exploitable results; dissemination of exploitable results to target groups and communication/ visibility of project activities.
(1) 986 stakeholders involved in promotion and visibility of project activities (13 Steering Committee members; 196 participants in survey for level of implementation of EE; 316 interviewees in BIM survey; 297 stakeholders took place in promotion events for BIM; 164 trainees in TRAINEE pilot trainings) followed by 94.000 visits to project web site and 200 likes on Facebook fun page
(2) Developed four categories of exploitable results:
• Training schemes for qualification through:
- non-formal education related to target groups (Integrated and systematic access in developing EE buildings for architects; Installation and design of solar-thermal systems; Installation and design of photovoltaic systems; BIM- Building Information Modeling for practitioners: engineers, architects and technicians; BIM for decision makers, market and owners; BIM for builders and contractors; BIM for industry and manufacturers) and
–recognition of in-formal learning - Model for the process for recognition of prior learning with aspects of quality assurance
• Training materials for training schemes
• Established Knowledge and skills management centre for piloting training schemes
• On-line register of certified workers and trainers
(3) Dissemination of exploitable results :
• Organized 2 trainings for architects and 4 trainings for use of solar energy in buildings
• Organized 2 workshops and Constitutive meeting for establishing Knowledge center
• Entry of 1346 certified workers and trainers in online registers
• Published catalogue of 14 training programs for EE and RES for workers and trainers
(4) Communication/visibility of project activities 3000 pieces of communication materials distributed: two web site designs for project and Knowledge and skills management Centre; 95000 visitors of web site and 200 likes on Facebook fun page; five press conferences organized and dissemination of project results at 7 external international events.
Final results
• 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,
-introducing innovative approach with digitalization of construction industry, by initiating BIM.
• Expected results until the end of the project are toward three targets:
-capacity building and piloting of work of Knowledge and skills management centre;
-proving the value of EE skills on case studies through piloting BIM and Post Occupancy Evaluation Methodology;
-promotion of EE skills through Register of certified workers and trainers and organization of round tables and international conference for recognition of EE and RES skills.
• Wider societal implications of project results will particularly refer to achievements not necessarily related to planned impacts of the project, but already identified as actions that has triggered national attention (including from the authorites):
-developing proposal for separate occupational standard for RES installers, that doesn’t exist in national list of occupational standards;
-proposing designed Register of certified professionals 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.
Website & more info
More info: http://www.trainee-mk.eu.