Stakeholders from the construction and the renewable energy industries and the local vocational education sector discussed the opportunities and challenges involved in reducing the carbon footprint of buildings during a seminar organised as part of the Build-up Skills project.
The seminar, which was held at the MCAST Main Campus, in Paola, focused on the training needs of the building industry in relation to renewable energy sources and energy efficient buildings.
The Build-up Skills project is a European initiative, spanning across 30 European countries and aimed at providing vocational education and training for the existing workforce within the built environment sector. It is supported and financed by the European Union’s Intelligent Energy Europe framework. In Malta, the project is coordinated by the Building Industry Consultative Council (BICC), the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), the Malta Chamber Foundation (MCF) and the Malta Intelligent Energy Management Agency (MIEMA). Additionally, this project is supported by various local institutions and stakeholders within the construction and renewable energy sectors.
To achieve the EU’s 2020 energy targets, the local industry requires a technically-qualified workforce equipped with the appropriate competencies and skills in energy efficient buildings and renewal energy sources. The Build-up Skills project aims to develop proposals for training, certification and other related matters in this regard.
The seminar’s discussion was based on a National Status Quo report prepared by the project partners, and which detailed the current situation in relation to vocational training on energy efficient buildings and on renewal energy sources. The report is open to public consultation and can be downloaded from www.buildupskillsmalta.com. Individuals and organisations interested in this sector are invited to submit their feedback and related proposals on [email protected].
Perit Charles Buhagiar, the new chairman and CEO of the BICC set out the forthcoming work of the Council, which will, among others, place energy efficient buildings high on the industry’s agenda. “The economy, our social infrastructure and our environment are dependent on the success or otherwise of our buildings. The quality of life of people is dependent on the buildings they live and work in, and hence on the way they are built.”
Stephen Cachia, the MCAST principal and CEO expressed his satisfaction that once again MCAST is at the forefront of an initiative to strengthen collaborations between education and industry. “As a college, our mission statement is to provide universally accessible vocational and professional education and training responsive to the needs of the individual and the economy. Later this month, we will be opening applications for 170 full-time courses, including new programmes in environmental engineering and building services engineering, to continue fulfilling this mission by providing a high quality vocational education to thousands of young individuals.
For vocational education to be truly universally accessible, we have also invested in different initiatives to make sure that older workers who have already contributed to the development of various industries do not face serious difficulties because of technological advancements or lack of qualifications. We encourage workers who require re-training or would like to acquire new skills to take up these initiatives. At the same time, it is important for employers to encourage their workers to engage in lifelong learning and re-training. Ultimately, the development of a flexible, highly-skilled workforce does not only reap benefits to workers and their families, but also contributes to increased competitiveness, profitability and economic growth.”
More details on this project are available on www.buildupskillsmalta.com.