Project Fact Sheet

BUILD UP Skills - Slovakia

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Main information

Key Action: / BUILD UP Skills
Project coordinator / Association of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia (ZSPS)
Contact person name: / Attila Jámbor
Contact person phone: / +421907764 180
Contact person email: /
Project's Partners / Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA)
Institute for Education and Services s.r.o. (UVS)
EkoFond, n.f. (EkoFond)
Technical Testing Institute in Construction (TSUS)
Project's website: /
Benefits: / National Policy of the Vocational Education Improvement in Construction Sector
Keywords: / Vocational education improvement, construction sector, renewable energy
Duration: / 07.06.2012 – 06.12.2013
Budget: / 205208 Euro (EU contribution 90%)
Contract number: / IEE/12/BWI/426/SI2.623226

Summary

The initiative BUILD UP SKILLS SLOVAKIA prepared the National Policy for Vocational Education Improvement in Construction for blue collar workers (on-site workers), to face the challenges of the green economy, namely Energy Efficiency (EE) and Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The focus of the project was vocational training for on-site building construction workers. Construction quality has been shown to have a significant impact on a building's eventual energy consumption. Therefore the skill level of construction craftsmen is crucial to achieving low energy targets for new buildings as well as refurbishments. Primary target groups were construction workers and installers of building services equipment, but also their supervisors. The project targeted all trades and professions involved in construction affecting final energy performance.

Project results

Result 1 / Closer cooperation with representatives of competent ministries, institutions and organizations involved in the process of “greening” in Slovak Republic. Dialogue was facilitated between those stakeholders who can bridge the gaps between the theory and practice which the Slovak Republic faces fulfillingthe 2020 energy targets.
Commitment of all stakeholders, including the Slovak government, ensuring the sustainability of the action after the end of the project.
Result 2 / National Qualification Platform and stakeholder engagement :
Total number of organizations participating in the platform: 31 (including consortium)
After the end of Pillar I, the NQP became a network of stakeholders from professional education. This coordinates VET policy as well as identifying resources for VET in EE and RES in buildings.
Result 3 / National report on training needs and gaps (Status Quo Analysis):
Number of workers involved in the (construction/building/craftsmen and other on-site workers): 173 040 in 2011
Number of workers requiring training: 47 000
Number of workers currently trained: 14 000 (estimate based on data from 2006 and 2009).
Professions with the highest needs: bricklayers; insulators; plasterers and dry mounting installers; installers of sanitary equipment; plumbers; roofers; carpenters; HVAC installers.
Result 4 / Roadmap recommending:
Develop a national scheme for vocational education and training aimed at skills and knowledge for energy efficiency and renewables in buildings.
Launch a scheme of certification and skills testing, including quality control.
Ensure appropriate sources of funding to support delivery of objectives, and additional incentives, adequate financing of the lifelong learning scheme and motivating employers tousea skilled and certified workforce.
Result 5 / On the basis of the Roadmap, three ministries drafted and agreed on a “Strategy for Setting up a Complex System of Further Education and Training in the Sector of Buildings". The Strategy took on board the Roadmap and the proposed measures for achieving the key and supporting objectives, as well as the action plan proposed in the Roadmap.The relevant Ministriessigned official statements of endorsement.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 / Preparation work for the Status Quo Analysis revealed a lack of systematic statistical recording of datain Slovakia. Collection of much information is not compulsory and is thus neglected bymany institutions. Estimations therefore needed to be derived from old or incomplete data using interdisciplinary methods and cross-referencing, interviews and survey results.
Lesson 2 / The stakeholders came to appreciate the importance, necessity and relevance of this project to Slovakia's construction industry. The project was welcomed by all relevant state institutions and its outputs led to the creation of a strategic document endorsed by three ministries and expected to be approved by the Slovak Government.
Lesson 3 / The project highlighted a prevous lack of communication between a wide range of stakeholders active in the construction sector, and managed to encourage new dialogue.

Testimonials from key participating stakeholders(New!)

Testimonial 1 / DušanČaplovič, Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of Slovak Republic: "Involvement of employers is key to the success of the scheme of further education and training to be launched by the project.
This is why we welcome initiative of employers leading this project."
Testimonial 2 / Katarína Korytárová, Ministry of Economy of Slovak Republic: “Build-Up Skills Slovakia in particular the Roadmap with its measures will be much beneficial. Ministry of Economy together with other members of the National Qualification Platform will paid attention to these measures and we will do our best to contribute to successful implementation and improvement of the quality of the building professions.”
Testimonial3 / Peter Robl, Platform Buildings for Future: “A movement of buildings´ reconstruction does not achieve a full potential of energy savings and therefore Platform welcomes Build-Up Skill Initiative which creates the conditions for improvement of this situation.”

Key endorsers and commitment(New!)

Endorser 1 / Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic: “In terms of Act no. 575/2001 Coll. on organisation of activities of the government and central state administration bodies as amended, the Ministry of Economy is responsible for the energy efficiency area. In this respect, ME SR expresses its full support for implementation of the Strategy of establishment and introduction of the comprehensive further education system in the building sector, the outcome of the BUILD UP SKILLS SLOVAKIA Project (BUSSK). The Project is financed under the initiative of the Intelligent Energy Europe II Programme “National qualification platforms and roadmaps to 2020” (call identifier: CIP-IEE-2011) and coordinated by the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia (ZSPS).”
Endorser 2 / Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic:“As the aim of the project also concerns preparation of documents for the national Strategy of establishment and introduction of a comprehensive further education system in the building sector, and thus also an effort to enhance the qualification level of the labour potential in the construction sector, we hereby express our full support for the project implementation coordinated by the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia.”
Endorser 3 / Ministry of Transport, Construction and Regional Development of the Slovak Republic:“We hereby express full support for implementation of the Strategy of establishment and introduction of the comprehensive further education system in the buildings sector as the outcome of the BUILD UP SKILLS SLOVAKIA Project (BUSSK) under the initiative of the Intelligent Energy Europe II Programme, “National qualification platforms and roadmaps to 2020”, coordinated by the Association of Construction Entrepreneurs of Slovakia.”

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BUILD UP Skills Country data (New!)

Country Data / Comments + Reference to Status Quo report (page)

Slovakia

Number of building on-site workers and craftsmen (+ data year) / 173.040 (Data year 2011) / The number refers to overall number of workers in construction sector (F). Further assessment of number of workers which will need training comes out of a ratio between civil engineering and structural engineering and its progress in time.
(Status quo report page: 55)
Number of on-site workers and craftsmen trained per year through Initial education (IVET) (+data year) / 2.773 ( Data year 2008/2009) / Students graduated in previous academic year. More actual data are not available because of re-organisation of secondary schools.
(Status quo report page: 43)
Number of on-site workers and craftsmen trained per year through Continuing education (CVET) (+data year) / 11.651 ( Data year 2006) / (Status quo report page: 41)
Estimates of additional building on-site workers and craftsmen needed in the sector by 2020 / 0 / Based on market development in last 5 years and economic cycles, we only have some expectations on number of workers by 2020. Estimation of on-site workers in building sector (structural engineering) is 118.550.
(Status quo report page: 110)
Number of building on-site workers and craftsmen requiring up-skilling on EE and RES by 2020 / 47.000 / Estimation based on results of questionnaire on need of further training (page 112). Number comes out of 118.550 * 40% need to be trained.
(Status quo report page: not explicitly identified)
3-5 occupations with the highest numbers of workers requiring up-skilling on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources amongst building on-site workers and craftsmen / Bricklayers + Insulators;
Plasterers and dry mounting installers;
HVAC installers; / (Status quo report page: not explicitly identified, but 110 in general)
Number of additional trainers needed / (Status quo report page: )

Last updated : 03.02.2014

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