BUS-GoCircular

Project Reference Number 101033740

Duration 30 months (September 2021 – February 29^th 2024)

TUS Project Budget €114,562.50

Total Project Budget €999,893.75

Summary

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. In addition, the project is strengthened by application of successful train-the-trainer methods and techniques for upskilling both demand and supply sides of the value chain involved. For stimulation of demand for sustainable energy skills, specific activities concerning companies, real estate, home owners and local authorities will be developed, including support towards legislative changes through circular green procurement and recognition of skills. Implementation will be carried out at country-specific and regional levels, based on a blend of measures to stimulate demand complemented with hands-on and practical upskilling of local and regional training capacity and workforce. In this way, broad engagement of SMEs will be ensured.

BUS-GoCircular is formed by a coalition of former BUILD UP Skills and Construction Skills projects strengthened by partners understanding the demand side. The partners believe that by working together, the national implementation plans and developed means will improve and become more attractive and effective. BUS-GoCircular is strengthened by several EU umbrella organisations and a diverse group of supporters to underpin the support base, to co-create when tackling the challenges and to communicate and disseminate successes and lessons learned.

In BUS-GoCircular the following definition of Circularity is used: The circular economy offers the next progressive step in our economic model, taking over from the current linear ‘take-make-waste’ economy by seeking to extract the maximum value from resources in use and keep materials in circulation for as long as possible through processes like reuse, repair, remanufacture and recycling. The ultimate goal of a circular economy is to establish an ecologically safe and socially just operating space for humankind. 

BUS-GoCircular will address green circular energy skills in conjunction with these other elements, in order to create value for building owners, building users and municipalities, as the key stakeholders to expedite the energy transition, and the added value will stimulate demand. The consortium will focus on multifunctional use of roofs, façades and interior elements, seen from a circular perspective. Multifunctional roofs and façades can harbour many functions, such as PV, solar thermal systems, inlet-outlet of heat recovery ventilation, natural light devices, bio-diversity, water storage and flood control, etc. As multiple technical systems are in play, material life cycles, embodied energy and design for disassembly has to play an important role.

Aims & Objectives

Since 2010, the need to upskill the construction sector in order to deliver quality near zero-energy buildings (nZEB) and deep energy renovations has been highlighted as one of the main challenges to the sector. Through the BUILD UP Skills initiative and the consequent Construction Skills projects under the Horizon 2020 program, major successes in member states have been achieved. Examples include roadmaps for upskilling based on analysis of the status quo, initiation and continuation of National Qualification Platforms and development of qualification and training schemes. Despite these successes, the main challenge now is to act at market level and to support legislative changes and implementation of the European Green Deal that will stimulate the demand for energy skills . For sustainable stimulation of demand for energy skills the BUS-GoCircular consortium has distinguished five main challenges to be addressed in an integrated approach.

Challenge 1: Addressing Green Energy Skills as part of a sum

Challenge 2: The value chain is as strong as the weakest link

Challenge 3: Lack of awareness among companies, real estate, homeowners, investors and public buyers. Without increased understanding of the benefits of more sustainable circular buildings and the benefits of hiring skilled workers/professionals, among companies and homeowners alike, there will be minimal market demand for quality workforce to deliver nZEB and hence – no demand for energy skills training

Challenge 4: What is not counted does not count. If you want to make impact you need to do things that count. Adding a new training to the available training supply is not that difficult. The challenge is to influence relevant training suppliers in the market and improve employability in the current European construction market by improving and extending the existing skills of Trainers, SMEs, site managers, craftworkers and provide new skills for other experienced operatives.

Challenge 5: Today’s young people have grown up with technology and may not consider the construction industry as a career of choice. On the other hand, many young people want to work on sustainability, climate change and making societal impact by applying their adeptness with information and communication technologies in a digital environment. Through introducing new topics and technologies, such as circular economy and digitalisation, young people may take another look into a career in this sector bridging the gap in the current shortage for skills in the construction industry. This is one of the pillars set out in the SME Strategy by setting out actions for capacity-building and support for the transition to sustainability and digitalisation. BUS-GoCircular aims to address these topics with modern training means and attention for individual results, in order to spark an interest in the construction sector. With as main purpose to encourage 1) better employability 2) low-carbon growth, 3) green and nZEB skills, and 4) increase in youth employment. The combination of challenges leads to the overall aim of BUS-GoCircular

TUS Activities 

In the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for Ireland the Bus Go Circular framework will be applied in the Irish context and validated by relevant stakeholders at national level.

To stimulate supply: Training of trainers at educational institutes and training organisations, with personal recognition of trainer trainers utilising LIT’s existing extensive networks.

To stimulate demand: Bus Go Circular focuses on three elements, mutual recognition of energy skills, capacity building and legislative changes working with an array of stakeholders across the industry.

WP 2 Skills Needs Analysis and Qualification Developement

WP Leader WP4 – Enabling upskilling demand Task 2.5 – Organising personal recognition Major contributions and participation in all work packages and tasks as a technical higher education institute

Partners

There are 14 partners in the project from 9 countries as follows; Netherlands (3), Bulgaria (2), Czech Republic (2), Spain (2), Croatia (1), Hungary (1), Ireland (1 – TUS), Belgium (1), Germany (1), led by ISSO in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.