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List of projects (11)

THE MAIN GOAL:

To define and quantify the needs and possibilities of the Croatian building sectors in contributing to the achievement of ambitious national energy efficiency (EE) targets.

ESSENTIAL:

Creation of the workforce with sufficient knowledge or specialisation in the construction of nearly zero-energy buildings; legislative and policy measures need to be developed in turn to trigger the market evaluation of the qualified workforce.

In order to contribute to achieving the ambitious national EE targets, project CROSKILLS intends to:

Analyse the national status quo;

Develop a national roadmap for establishing a system of lifelong training of building workers in the field of energy efficiency;

Provide for the endorsement of the national roadmap and thus as well provide for a system of market evaluation of qualified workforce;

RESULTS:

Practical knowledge of specialized on-site workers facilitates an increased deployment of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy sources (RES) into the construction sector daily practices.

Authorities, professionals and investors enforce the control of the quality of a nearly zero-energy building construction process.

Knowledge guarantees a high quality work performance.

The main goal of the project is to establish a large-scale qualification and training scheme for Croatian blue-collar building workers, based on the recommendations and priority measures defined by the National Roadmap, in order to enable life-long training of qualified and unqualified employed and unemployed workers, as well as systematic market evaluation of qualified workforce. The project focuses on the continuing training of building workers (craftsmen and blue collar workers) that are already on the job market, covering all works on the building envelope (excluding RES workers). Thus, it targets the 6 priority professions identified by the National Roadmap: bricklayers, plasterers, roofers, carpenters, house-painters and prefabricated construction fitters, each taking into account the 4 relevant European Qualifications Framework levels (6 professions x 4 EQF levels). Thus, 24 training modules will be developed and tested, and a functioning certification scheme will be developed. An initial set of at least 10 training centres (training providers) will be accredited country-wide.

Analysis of the renovation process that has been carried out in recent years in Croatia indicates the need to step up and to increase the level of energy renovation of the total building stock, given that in the period from 2014 to 2020 only 0.7 % of the total building stock was renovated on an annual basis. 

In Croatia, energy inefficient buildings are responsible for 40 % of energy consumption and 36 % of CO2 emissions, and as much as 30 % of buildings belong to the category of buildings with the worst energy performance. Increased intensity of energy renovation of existing buildings and deployment of new nZEB buildings would greatly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions in the building sector, thus positively contributing to the energy and climate goals of Croatia and the EU by 2030. 

To achieve these ambitious goals, Croatia needs a workforce educated in terms of new technologies, innovative renovation/construction methods, building standards (nZEB), application of new materials in construction, application of digitalization in the construction process and other factors influencing the fulfilment and achievement of the decarbonization goals in the building sector. 

Bearing this in mind, the CRO skills RELOAD project intends to re-establish the "National Qualification Platform" and improve the "National Roadmap" in order to achieve national energy and climate goals. 

The project will act on all segments of the renovation process ecosystem, from decision makers, end users, manufacturers of materials and equipment, contractors, designers, energy service providers to future nZEB specialists - students, with intention to reach the common goal - adopt nZEB standard and sustainable construction as the key levers for achieving decarbonization goals with a special emphasis on the importance of education and lifelong learning. Project will build on and upscale the results of the previous BuildUP skills initiatives and projects supporting new skills development.

01 November 2022 - 30 April 2024