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COWI Belgium May – 2016
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills initiative under the
Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
2011 - 2015
Final report
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME) Unit: Unit B1 - H2020 Energy
Contact: Mrs Zoé Wildiers
E-mail: [email protected]
European Commission B-1049 Brussels
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
i
LEGAL NOTICE
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views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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(http://www.europa.eu).
Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2014
ISBN: 978-92-9202-185-6
doi: 10.2826/23913
© European Union, 2016
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ii Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
CONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Aim and objectives of the evaluation 2
1.2 Methodology 3
1.3 Structure of the report 7
2 BUILD UP Skills Initiative in the context of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme 8
2.1 Policy context 8
2.2 The setting of the initiative 13
2.3 BUILD UP Skills' contribution to policy implementation 16
2.4 Pillar I projects 22
2.5 Pillar II Projects 28
2.6 EU Exchange meetings 29
3 Outcomes of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative 32
3.1 Pillar I projects 32
3.2 Pillar II projects 47
3.3 Priorities for the future 52
4 Conclusions and recommendations 57
4.1 Conclusions 57
4.2 Recommendations 67
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
iii
LIST OF ACRONYMS
Acronym Description
CEDEFOP European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
CfP Calls for Proposals
CIF Competitiveness and Innovation Framework
CVET Continuing Vocational Education and Training
DG ENER Directorate General for Energy
EACI Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation
EASME Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
EE Energy Efficiency
EED Energy Efficiency Directive, Directive 2012/27/EU
EPBD Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Directive 2010/31/EC
ESF European Social Fund
EU European Union
FYROM Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
IEE Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
INTERREG Community initiative which aims to stimulate interregional cooperation
IVET Initial Vocational Education and Training
LLL Life Long Learning programme
MS Member State(s)
RES Renewable Energy Sources
SME Small and Medium Sized Enterprise
tCO2e Tons of CO2 equivalent
TOR Terms of Reference
VET Vocational Education and Training
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
1
1 Introduction
This report presents the evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative Pillar I and
identifies a methodology for the evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Pillar II projects,
commissioned by the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
(EASME) under the Framework Contract SRD MOVE/ENER/ SRD.1/2012-409, Lot
3, Technical Assistance in the Field of Energy. The evaluation has been carried out
by an Evaluation Team consisting of COWI Belgium and Viegand Maagøe Den-
mark. The evaluation has been carried out between January and December 2015.
The evaluation covers 30 Pillar I projects (one in each EU 28 Member State plus
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Norway), 22 Pillar II projects (in
21 Member States, Italy having 2 Pillar II projects) and the EU exchange meetings.
Only two of the Pillar II projects were finalised at the time of the evaluation.
The results of the evaluation will be used by EASME and DG Energy to report on
the effectiveness and sustainability of the initiative, as well as to provide a basis for
elaborating the future of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative under the Horizon 2020
programme.
2 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
Figure 1 - Countries participating in the BUILD UP SKILLS Initiative
1.1 Aim and objectives of the evaluation
EASME commissioned this evaluation with the objective of evaluating the impact of
the BUILD UP Skills Initiative implemented under the Intelligent Energy Europe II
programme (IEE II). In addition, the aim of the evaluation is to provide a forward
looking set of recommendations in order to give input to the future orientation of the
initiative, notably in the context of the Horizon 2020 Energy Challenge which aims
at supporting the transition to a secure, clean and efficient energy system in
Europe.
The Horizon 2020 Energy Challenge is structured around seven specific objectives
and research areas1:
› Reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint; › Low-cost, low-carbon electricity supply;
› Alternative fuels and mobile energy sources; › A single, smart European electricity grid; › New knowledge and technologies; › Robust decision making and public engagement; and › Market uptake of energy and ICT innovation.
Under the energy efficiency area, energy efficiency in buildings holds an important
role for the European Union to reach its objectives by 2020. On average the
1 http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/secure-clean-and-efficient-energy
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
3
building sector represents 40% of the energy consumption of the European Union,
and 36% of the total CO2 emissions2. With an ageing building stock, Member
States will need to increase their refurbishment efforts in order to reach their
expected EE targets under the effort sharing decision. In Europe, residential buil-
dings represent 75% of the building stock against 25% for non-residential buil-
dings. More than 40% of the residential building stock in Europe was constructed
before the 1960’s when EE regulations hardly existed. In 2009, 68% of final energy
use was in buildings3. As of 1
st of January 2014, all Member States will need to
renovate 3% of the surface area used by central government administration every
year. In addition, all new public buildings after 31th December 2018 shall be nearly
zero energy buildings. This outlines the importance of public sector buildings in
achieving the 2020 EE objectives. Furthermore, all dwellings for sale or rent will
need an energy performance certificate.
1.2 Methodology
The following approach was adopted to carry out the evaluation of the BUILD UP
Skills initiative.
A set of evaluation criteria had been developed by EASME as a basis for this
evaluation report. During the phase of evaluation structuring, the Evaluation Team
broke down each evaluation question into judgement criteria and indicators in order
to scope the investigation under each question and provide a basis for the data
collection and analysis. The evaluation criteria can be found at the end of this
report. On the basis of these evaluation criteria an interview guide was developed
in order to collect qualitative information through interviews to be carried out with
EC staff and projects coordinators.
The Evaluation Team has collected relevant information at policy, strategy and
programme levels and also information concerning all Pillar I and Pillar II projects.
Information was collected from these sources against the judgement criteria and
indicators identified.
Project documents have been reviewed in order to establish availability and identify
information gaps, i.e. which information was not available and if there were specific
needs for additional document collection. Missing or unreliable information has
then been checked and collected through interviews and the e-survey.
Overall, the team reviewed more than 400 different project documents4 in addition
to the BUILD UP Skills project websites and other related IEE II funded projects5.
The documentation reviewed includes all Pillar I and II documentation made
2 European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency/buildings
3 Europe’s buildings under the microscope - A country-by-country review of the energy performance of
buildings, Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), 2011.
4 See Appendix D for details of the documentation reviewed.
5 Non-BUILD UP Skills projects' websites were visited when reference to them was found in BUILD UP
Skills documentation.
Evaluation
structuring
Document review
4 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
available by EASME, the BUILD UP Skills initiative and project websites; EU policy
and strategy documents and directives; etc.
In order to facilitate the telephone interviews and to ensure that the same
information was obtained from all the interviewees an interview manual was
developed and used for all the interviews hereby ensuring that the interviews are
documented in a coherent way.
Interviews have been carried out with the consortium coordinators of Pillar I and
Pillar II projects. In addition, the Evaluation Team also interviewed representative
of EU wide organisations based in Brussels and active in building related training
and vocational education.
Parallel with the document review and the interviews, an e-survey was designed in
order to collect information from a wider array of stakeholders thus reaching
consortium and platform members of both Pillar I and Pillar II projects. Based on
the analysis of the documents available and the preliminary interviews, the team
identified the areas of investigation to be included in the e-survey. The question-
naire contained both quantitative and qualitative (open and closed) questions. The
survey was distributed to all project coordinators, who were asked to send the e-
survey to the relevant platform members and stakeholders. Approx. 400 useful
answers were received. In this number there are both respondents, who have
answered all the questions and respondents who have only answered some of the
questions, but where the individual answers were still usable.
The following figures illustrate the background of the respondents of the e-survey.
43.9% of the respondents are consortium members and 26.9% are platform
members. The remainder of 29.2% are neither consortium member nor platform
members. This remaining part is a mix of representatives from education
institutions, energy agencies and other organisations.
Figure 2 - Respondent categorisation
Coordinators
interviews
e-survey
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
5
Figure 3 - Respondent's sector
The majority of the respondents come from the training and education sector
(41.2%), then from the building and construction sector (39.9 %) and there are 18.9
% from the energy sector6.
6 Since some respondents selected more than one sector, these figures are just a rough approximation.
6 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
Figure 4 is illustrating the number of answers to the e-survey for each country
divided into consortium members, platform members and those who have
responded “others” to the question: “which sector do you represent?”.
Figure 4 - Distribution of respondents broken down per country
In order to validate and test the conclusions and recommendations of this evalua-
tion, the Evaluation Team organised two workshops with key representatives. The
first workshop gathered representatives of key EU institutions that have a stake or
interest in the BUILD UP Skills initiative and its future. This focus group gathered in
DG ENER on 30th November 2015 with representatives from DG ENER, DG
EMPL, EASME, DG GROW and DG ENV.
The second workshop was organised on 19 January 2016 during the 7th BUILD UP
Skills EU exchange meeting in Brussels.
The aim of both workshops was to gather or confirm information where feasible in
order to strengthen the evidence base of the evaluation. It was also the occasion to
present the initial conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation to the
participants. These sessions provided an interesting perspective to the Evaluation
Team to further strengthen the conclusions and recommendations, notably from an
operational point of view.
Focus groups
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
7
1.3 Structure of the report
The present report is structured as follows:
› Chapter 2 presents the BUILD UP Skills Initiative in the context of the Intelligent Energy Europe II programme and the evolving policy context of
energy efficiency in Europe; in addition it presents the evaluation findings
concerning the genesis of the initiative, its relevance and the adequacy of its
specific structure – i.e. national consortia, Pillar I and Pillar II projects,
standardised approach and the added value from EU exchange meetings.
› Chapter 3 looks at the results of the initiative and its intermediate impacts (outcomes) and perspectives for the future.
› Chapter 4 presents the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation.
This section also includes a summary table of the answers to the Evaluation
Questions as well as a suggestion for a methodology for the evaluation of
BUILD UP Skills Pillar II projects.
8 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
2 BUILD UP Skills Initiative in the context of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme
2.1 Policy context
The Energy Policy for Europe, agreed by the European Council in March 2007,
establishes the Union’s core energy policy objectives of competitiveness,
sustainability and security of supply. By 2020 renewable energy sources have to
contribute 20% to the final energy consumption; greenhouse gas emissions have
to fall by 20% and energy efficiency gains have to deliver a 20% cut in Europe's
annual primary energy consumption with respect to 1990.
The European Commission has proposed several measures to increase efficiency
at all stages of the energy chain i.e. generation, transformation, distribution and
final consumption. There are measures for all end-use sectors.
The Commission has established several regulatory frameworks in order to ensure
that the objectives on energy efficiency are achieved. Among these are the Energy
Efficiency Directive (EED) (2012/27/EU), the Energy Performance of Buildings
Directive (EPBD) (2010/31/EU) and the Energy Services Directive (ESD)
(2006/32/EC) which have established a common framework of measures for the
promotion of energy efficiency within the Union in order to ensure the achievement
of the Union’s 2020 20% headline target on energy efficiency7 and to ensure
further energy efficiency improvements in the future.
It lays down the rules designed to remove barriers in the energy market and
overcome market failures that impede efficiency in the supply and use of energy,
and provides for the establishment of indicative national energy efficiency targets
for 2020. The EED includes under Article 8 on energy audits and energy
management systems a provision requiring Member States to encourage training
programmes for auditors "in order to facilitate sufficient availability of experts". The
establishment of accreditation/certification schemes –where needed - is requested
7 COM(2010)2020
2020 Energy and
climate goals
Energy efficiency
The Energy Efficiency
Directive (EED) and
the Energy
Performance of Buil-
dings Directive
(EPBD)
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
9
by the Member States under Article 16, so that a certain level of technical
competence, objectivity and reliability is maintained.
In February 2016, the Commission proposed an EU Heating and Cooling strategy.
Plans for this EU strategy were first launched in 2015 as part of the Energy Union
strategy. This is a first step in exploring the issues and challenges in this sector,
and solving them with EU energy policies. The Strategy is emphasising that cutting
the energy consumed by heating and cooling in buildings and industry can be
achieved through scaling-up the use of advanced construction and design
techniques and high-performance insulation materials when renovating buildings.
The Strategy8 also announced that, in the context of the ongoing review of the
energy efficiency legislation, the Commission will extend the work of the BUILD UP
Skills initiative to improve training for building professionals, in particular through a
new module for energy experts and architects.
The building sector accounts for about 40% of the energy use in Europe as stated
in the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD, 2010/31/EU), which
considers energy efficiency from buildings as an important measure in attaining the
2020 goals. The EPBD promotes the improvement of the energy performance of
buildings within the EU by setting a number of requirements for the energy
performance of buildings. The appropriate level of competence of installers and
builders is considered as critical in achieving the objectives of the EPBD, which
therefore includes in Article 20 a requirement for Member States to ensure that
"guidance and training is made available for those implementing this Directive".
The European Energy Efficiency Plan9 from 2011 assessed that there is a large
untapped energy saving potential in existing buildings. According to the Plan
techniques exist to cut existing buildings' consumption by half or three quarters and
to halve the energy consumption of typical appliances. But the renovation rate of
buildings is too low, just like the uptake of the most efficient appliances. The
Energy Plan stated that there is a lack of appropriate training for architects,
engineers, auditors, craftsmen, technicians and installers, notably for those
involved in refurbishment. When the Energy Plan was published in 2011 it was
estimated that about 1.1 million qualified (in the field of energy efficiency and RES)
workers were available, while it was estimated that 2.5 million would be needed by
2015.
The same year the Communication on Energy Roadmap 205010
with regard to
energy efficiency underlined that "Higher energy efficiency in new and existing
buildings is key" calling for nearly zero energy buildings becoming the norm.
8 COM(2016) 51 final
9 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
10 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Energy Roadmap 2050,
COM(2011) 885
The EU strategy for
heating and cooling
Energy consumption
in the building sector
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/news/commission-launches-plans-curb-energy-use-heating-and-cooling
10 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
The 2012 Communication on Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness of the
construction sector and its enterprises11
underlined the importance of the
construction sector, which it estimates brings around 10% of GDP, providing 20
million jobs, mainly in micro and small enterprises. It further stated that "the energy
performance of buildings and resource efficiency in manufacturing, transport and
the use of products for the construction of buildings and infrastructures have an
important impact on energy, climate change and the environment".
As only a small percentage of the building stock consists of new buildings, there is
therefore a large demand for quality energy renovation of the existing building
stock. In fact, it is estimated that new buildings account for only 1% of the building
stock each year, which means that almost two thirds of the buildings in use in 2050
have already been built. At the same time the retrofit rate is considered to be
between 0.5 and 2.5 % each year12
.
The construction sector is facing increasing challenges in terms of a shortfall of
skilled workers, low attractiveness to young people, limited capacity for innovation
and the phenomenon of undeclared work.
The EC ran from 30 June 2015 to 1 October 2015 a public consultation on the
EPBD and was assessing the contributions and evaluating whether the directive
has met its objectives at the time this report was elaborated. The review of the
directive is due by 1 January 2017 as required under its Article 19.
The Renewable Energy Sources (RES) Directive 2009/28 establishes a common
framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources. The RES Directive
mentions "information and training gaps, especially in the heating and cooling
sector", which it considers should be dealt with. Article 14 of the RES Directive
includes provisions regarding the information and training of all relevant actors
including builders and installers. The introduction of certification schemes for
installers of small-scale biomass boilers and stoves, solar photovoltaic and solar
thermal systems, shallow geothermal systems and heat pumps are to be ensured
by Member States.
The training of construction workers and craftsmen is often an overseen link in the
chain from overall measures, regulation, incentives etc. to the new or renovated
buildings with lower energy consumption. The shortfall of qualified skilled workers
and the need to improve the human-capital basis of the construction sector was
also identified in the 2012 Strategy for the sustainable competitiveness13
. The
Strategy noted also the great variety between education and training systems
across Europe.
11
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Strategy for the
sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its enterprises, COM(2012) 433
12 Europe’s buildings under the microscope, BPIE, 2011
http://www.institutebe.com/InstituteBE/media/Library/Resources/Existing%20Building%20Retrofits/Euro
pes-Buildings-Under-the-Microscope-BPIE.pdf
13 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Strategy for the
sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its enterprises COM(2012) 433
The Renewable
Energy Sources
Directive (RES)
Training of construc-
tion workers and
craftsmen
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
11
The lack of appropriate training represents one of the main non-technical barriers
in reaching the energy efficiency objectives in buildings by 2020.
Within the building industry, there is generally an increasing concern about the gap
between the predicted energy performance of buildings and actual measured
performance, typically addressed as ‘the performance gap’. According to the article
“The gap between predicted and measured energy performance of buildings: A
framework for investigation” by Pieter de Wilde from 2014, the measured energy
consumption of low energy buildings can be up to 2.5 times the calculated energy
consumption14
.
From the article “A review of the regulatory energy performance gap and its
underlying causes in non-domestic buildings” published in the magazine Frontiers
in Mechanical Engineering (only released provisionally on 21.12.201515
), one of the
reasons for the deviation in energy performance is described as a result of poor
on-site workmanship or lack of appropriate training. As building regulations
become more stringent and new technologies are introduced, the quality of
construction has to be improved. In the article it is argued that on-site workmanship
needs to adapt and be trained to these increasing levels of complexity in building
construction. One example is the increased focus on airtightness of buildings,
where improved skills are needed. The increased demand for airtightness gives
rise to performance issues as "airtightness is compromised during construction by
discontinuous insulation or punctured airtight barriers". Furthermore installation of
services, such as drainage systems, air ducts and electrical pipe work may leave
gaps which also reduce the airtightness and induce thermal loss. Also the issues of
junctions between roofs and walls insulation, incorrect positioning of windows and
doors, which can reduce the actual performance of the thermal envelope, are
frequently mentioned as problem areas.
The EU has been developing policies to tackle the skills gap in several sectors in
the Union, and for strengthening lifelong learning systems. The Lisbon strategy
recognises the importance of adult training and a better access for higher
education throughout the professional life of EU citizens. The Education and
Training 2010 work programme was designed to reach this objective. It was
followed by the new strategic framework for European cooperation in Education
and Training (ET2020), which was adopted during the 12th May 2009 Council
meeting. Part of this effort (started under the ET2010, and continued under the
ET2020) is the Copenhagen Process launched in 2002. The priorities of the
Barcelona Process included, among others, reinforcing the European dimension in
VET and developing tools for the mutual recognition and validation of competences
and qualifications.
Over the period 2007-2013, the EC integrated numerous educational and training
programmes under a single programme: The Life Long Learning programme (LLL).
14
The gap between predicted and measured energy performance of buildings: A framework for investigation Pieter de Wilde 15
van_Dronkelaar C, Dowson M, Spataru C and Mumovic D(2015) A review of the regulatory energy performance gap and its underlying causes in non-domestic buildings.
12 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
The construction workers and craftsmen typically work within the frame of many
years of good practices and experiences for constructing and renovating buildings.
It is however necessary to supplement with new knowledge and practices to
handle low energy building construction projects and energy renovation building
projects.
One example of this is how to insulate buildings correctly in order to achieve the
desired low heating and cooling consumption without damaging the building due to
e.g. accumulated humidity in building components.
Another example is natural and forced ventilation, where the right installation,
insulation and adjustment related to the lower energy consumption and tighter
buildings are necessities for correct functioning.
Consequently, in every EU member state, there is a need for improving the skills of
qualified workers in the building industry for the implementation of energy efficiency
in renovation and new projects.
In 2007 an Ex-Ante Assessment report16
established the need for an initiative
supporting the development of skills of the building workforce. Such an initiative
was considered to be in line with the Intelligent Energy Europe (IEE) programme
(Calls for proposals 2011-2012-2013) that aims at boosting the further education
systems for workers in order to promote a high level of energy performance in
buildings. The initiative is part the European Commission's Energy Efficiency Plan
adopted in 2011. The Ex-Ante Assessment report proposed as a preferred action
for MS specific projects reflecting the complex diversity of structures, issues and
relative progress across the Member States. This would be done in two phases:
the first would focus on data gathering, while the second would focus on the design
and implementation of training courses.
On this basis, the BUILD UP Skills initiative was planned and launched. The aim
of the initiative as expressed in the Energy Efficiency Plan17
is to "support Member
States in assessing training needs for the construction sector, developing
strategies to meet them, and fostering effective training schemes". The BUILD UP
Skills Initiative has helped Member Stes in developing national qualificaton
roadmaps for 2020 and providing assistance in the preparation and implementation
of training and certification schemes. To attain these goals, support can be
16
ECORYS, 2007, Ex-ante evaluation of the initiative on the building workforce training and qualification
in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy within the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme:
https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/Exante%20study%20-
%20Construction%20skills.pdf
17 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Energy Efficiency Plan 2011
COM(2011) 109
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
13
explored by funding instruments like the European Social Fund and the Lifelong
Learning Programme and the Erasmus For All.18
.
2.2 The setting of the initiative
The BUILD UP Skills Initiative consists of two pillars:
Pillar I Supporting the development of national status-quo analysis and national
roadmaps (2011-2013);
Pillar II Supporting the setup or upgrade of qualification and training schemes
(2013-2017).
The two pillars are supplemented with Europe-wide coordinated support activities
(EU exchange meetings) to support the exchange of best practices through
meetings of all the participating BUILD UP Skills projects.
Figure 5 – BUILD UP Skills components19
18
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council Strategy for the
sustainable competitiveness of the construction sector and its enterprises COM(2012) 433
19 Adapted from BUILD UP Skills Initiative publication.
14 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
In November 2011, 21 countries started working under Pillar I on their status-quo
analysis and national roadmap. In June 2012 nine additional countries joined the
initiative.
The specific provisions for the BUILD UP Skills Initiative were set by the 2011
Commission implementing decision20
establishing the 2012 Work Programme for
the implementation of the IEE II programme. The 2014 H2020 Work Programme
on Energy Efficiency stated the following concerning the expected impacts of the
construction skills projects: "Every million Euro of EU support is expected to
increase the skills of at least 2,000 craftsmen, or 500 construction sector
managers, resulting in energy savings and/or renewable energy production of at
least 25 GWh per year and increasing the employability of the building
workforce"21
.Since this evaluation report only covers the Pillar I projects and not
the Pillar II projects with pilot training programmes, it is not possible to evaluate
whether the numbers from above will be reached. Pillar II covers only pilot training
courses and therefore only a limited number of craftsmen and construction sector
managers will be trained.
20 Commission Implementing Decision of 20/12/2011 establishing the 2012 Work Programme for
implementation of the 'Intelligent Energy - Europe II' programme
21 Ex-Ante Assessment report
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
15
The following table shows which countries participated in the Pillar I and Pillar II
projects.
Table 1: Countries involved in Pillar I and Pillar II projects
Country Pillar I project completed Proposal for Pillar II Pillar II ongoing
Austria X X X
Belgium X X
Bulgaria X X X
Croatia X X X
Cyprus X X X
Czech Rep. X X X
Denmark X
Estonia X X X
Finland X X X (finished)
France X X
FYROM X X X
Germany X X X
Greece X X X
Hungary X X X
Ireland X X X
Italy X X X
Latvia X X X
Lithuania X X X
Luxembourg X X X
Malta X X
Norway X X
Poland X
Portugal X X X
Romania X X X (finished)
Slovakia X X X
Slovenia X
Spain X X X
Sweden X X X
The Netherlands X X X (finished)
UK X
At the time of this evaluation report two Pillar II projects have been finalized (Romania and the Netherlands).
16 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
2.3 BUILD UP Skills' contribution to policy implementation
In terms of Energy Efficiency and integration of Renewable Energy sources, the
EU has set itself objectives that will only be reached if a number of identified
barriers are lifted. The BUILD UP Skills Initiative, an upstream measure, was to
contribute to enhancing the skills of on-site workers and craftsmen in the building
sector in order to meet the EU 20-20-20 objectives. It also aimed at increasing the
number of trained workers in these fields. The priorities of the BUILD UP Skills
Initiative were set out each year in the respective IEE II work programme:
› 2011, National qualification platforms and roadmaps to 2020; › 2012, National qualification platforms & Roadmaps to 202022 and Qualification
& training schemes;
› 2013, Establish or upgrade large-scale qualification and training schemes
2.3.1 The BUILD UP Skills initiative
This chapter investigates the genesis and
structuring of the initiative and the extent to
which it answered the needs and priorities
of the beneficiaries in their respective
countries. Also, this chapter looks into
whether there was a need for public
funding for this initiative, or whether it could
have been initiated through other means.
BUILD UP Skills was initiated in DG
ENERGY, partly in response to concerns
raised by Member States in meeting the
EU 2020 objectives. The lack of skilled
workforce had been raised in many
countries as a major issue for reaching the
efficiency and targets by 2020 both at
national and EU levels. At the time, while
often receiving proposals for training of
craftsmen and on-site workers, the EC held
very little information on the issue. Hence,
DG ENER decided to investigate the topic.
Initially the idea raised concern from several DG´s. DG ENERGY set up working
groups in order to discuss the content and scope of the initiative. This led to the
inclusion of skills pertaining to the installation of small scale renewable energy
installations. In order to strengthen the case for a dedicated initiative supporting the
development of skills of construction site workers and craftsmen, an Ex-Ante
22 Only for countries for which no proposals were selected under the 2011 calls for proposals.
1. Business as usual - no new additional
EU initiative on training for EE and RES
supported by IEE.
2. Collaborative action - MS
government level coordination / analysis
(cf. EPBD) of the training needs,
qualification harmonisation, future
demands and delivery models. Risk of
duplicating existing and ongoing
government action at MS level
3. Pilot schemes - possibly at
centralised EU level – targeted on
training providers who could design and
pilot training provision targeted on areas
of identified need and future demand.
4. Awareness raising – at EU level - of
need, demand and delivery models –
targeted on training providers in order to
increase the likelihood (and speed) of
replication of suitable training.
5. Combination of 2, 3 and 4.
Box 1: Ex-ante evaluation option analysis
summary
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
17
Assessment report23
was commissioned. The report, delivered in April 2010, is
based on a thorough situation analysis, literature review and desk research. The
evaluation also included a high level consultation involving relevant EC services,
MS representatives (Energy Agencies and professional organisations) and industry
associations and stakeholders. The breadth of desk review of the Ex-Ante
Assessment report was sufficient to capture the challenges throughout the Union,
in terms of training of on-site workers in the building sector, with a specific focus on
energy efficiency and renewable energy.
The Ex-Ante Assessment report concluded on the needs, barriers and priority
actions needed to overcome the shortage of qualified workers. It is worth
mentioning that the scope of the Ex-Ante Assessment report was not to identify an
initiative aiming at "providing training needed, but rather to identify financial support
to create, strengthen or link structures and instruments aiming at boosting the
vocational training and qualification schemes for the building workforce and to
provide structures and instruments for leverage and align existing workforce
training programmes and resources towards the energy efficiency and renewable
energy topics".
The Ex-Ante Assessment report also concluded that a mix of the different options
identified (see box 1 on previous page) was the most appropriate way forward.
This was proposed in order to mitigate the identified risks of each proposed option
if implemented separately. The only identified priority from the Ex-Ante Assessment
report that did not receive specific attention in the elaboration of the initiative was
the emphasis on building synergies with other IEE projects. It is worth noting that
despite this, several projects did develop ties with other relevant IEE projects
through the inclusion of same consortium members or delivering presentations of
the BUILD UP Skills activities in other IEE funded events.
Overall, it can be concluded that the initiative was elaborated through a high level
of consultation, including a non-compulsory Ex-Ante Assessment report.
2.3.2 Standard approach of Pillar I projects
The following could be identified as key features of the BUILD UP Skills initiative as
compared to other IEE initiatives:
› There is a national dimension of projects with EU exchange activities; › Standardised Pillar I projects approach (Specific and detailed guide for
proposers, templates with outlines for roadmaps and Status Quo report).
These are features of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative that differentiate it from other
IEE programme funded projects. First of all, a key feature of Pillar I projects was
the national dimension. It was considered at the time of elaborating the initiative
that introducing a multinational dimension would have blurred the objectives which
23 Ex-Ante evaluation of the initiative on the building workforce training and qualification in the field of
energy efficiency and renewable energy within the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
TREN/A2/143-2007, Ecorys, 2010.
18 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
were a stocktaking exercise. All stakeholders interviewed concur that this was an
appropriate approach. It is commonly agreed that a multi-national approach would
not have allowed mobilising such a wide range of stakeholders. In addition, the
emphasis on the national dimension allowed for mobilisation of stakeholders that
otherwise would not have exchanged on issues pertaining to the enhancement of
skills of blue collars in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency. This is
particularly true for private sector representatives.
Secondly, the standardised methodology for the Status Quo Analysis (SQA) and
roadmaps, leaving certain latitude for adapting to the national contexts was very
much appreciated by the project coordinators. Most project coordinators found it
beneficial to be guided for the Status Quo Analysis while having sufficient leeway
for adapting to their national context. This particular aspect was reinforced by the
EU Exchange and peer review meetings. These also contributed to enhancing the
coherence of the results, even though final results remain difficult to compare or
aggregate coherently at EU level. The preparatory meetings in Member States
raised the proponents' understanding of the initiative. This resulted in a high
number of proposals submitted for Pillar I. The quality of proposals was also higher
than foreseen.
Need for public funding24
Some countries had already undertaken activities with national stakeholders e.g.
Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, but there was generally no
coordination of these activities between the various countries. The BUILD UP Skills
initiative with the national focus has resulted in much more detailed studies than
seen in other previous studies. Other countries mention in the e-survey that there
would not have been the same level of involvement and commitment in the project
if it had not been funded by the EU. Some stakeholders would most likely not have
participated if it had not been an EU funded project.
Some of the existing training initiatives in the areas of energy efficiency have also
approached engineers and not only craftsmen.
59% of the respondents of the e-survey have answered that they do not believe
that the stocktaking could have taken place without EU funding whereas 21%
believe that this could have taken place and 20% of the respondents do not have
any opinion on this question.
24 Evaluation question 3: Could the initiative be replicated by the EU without public/EU funding?
Could this initiative
have been carried
out by the market
without public
funding?
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
19
Figure 6 - The situation analysis (Status Quo Report), as delivered under Pillar I, could have been
carried out by the market players without EU or public funding
In the e-survey there are respondents from the same country who believe that the
stocktaking could have taken place without EU funding and others who believe that
it could not have taken place, therefore it is not possible to make country specific
conclusions on this subject. However in the following countries every respondent
answered “no” to the question “could the initiative have been carried out without
public/EU funding”: Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia and
Slovenia.
The interviewed project coordinators have answered that there would not have
been resources for this work to be carried out on a national level without the EU
funding. Furthermore the commitment, the motivation and the involvement from the
stakeholders would not have been at the same level.
Existence of systems for identifying training needs
Prior to the BUILD UP Skills initiative, there were some existing involvements from
the private sector in VET (e.g. in Spain, France and Germany); however there
was not any coherence or coordination between these activities.
The BUILD UP Skills initiative has increased this involvement and the communi-
cation within the building sector. The countries answer that this would not have
been the case without the EU funding. In addition, the flexibility built in the initiative
has allowed some countries to create the National Qualification platform and carry
out the Status Quo Analysis not only at national level, but also at regional level.
This is the case of France which organised 6 inter-regional meetings. This is
particularly important in the framework of decentralisation which devolves training
and education responsibilities to regional or equivalent entities.
20 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
Figure 7 - In my country there were already systems in place that identified training needs in the
building sector prior to the BUILD UP Skills initiative
Figure 8 - Market players of the construction sector are now (after the launch of the BUILD UP
Skills initiative) more involved in training on sustainable energy in my country
94% of the e-survey respondents agree to the fact that there was a need for
mapping the existing workforce, only 6% disagree to this.
The set-up of the initiative has ensured that a large amount of market players
already involved in VET have been successfully involved in this initiative. The
number of consortium members and platform members deducted from the lists of
participants from the exchange meetings arranged by EASME and from the final
country reports indicate that a total of approximately 1 800 people from different
organisations have been involved in the Pillar I activities. The total number of
coordinators is 30 (one for each country) and the number of consortium members
is 196 (generally 6 to 7 consortium members per country). It is estimated that the
total number of people involved in the BUILD UP Skills initiative is somewhat
higher since some of the people have been replaced during the projects. Also there
is a large group of people involved in the projects that is not listed in the reports.
Furthermore the stakeholders mentioned above can have participated in different
ways in the project e.g. by attending some of the stakeholder meetings or
conferences or by endorsing the Roadmaps or by having more than one role in the
initiative. It is the opinion of the evaluation team, that the total number of people
involved in this project may be about 2500 people.
The type of the stakeholders varies from country to country, but they cover
organisations like national energy agencies, government or ministries,
organisations for vocational training and education, associations of workers (e.g.
electricians, insulation workers, workers with construction skills, plumbing, heating
installations, carpenters, installers etc.) and financial institutions.
Need for mapping
the existing
workforce
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
21
Table 2: Consortia size and composition
Country Consortium
members
Number of people
from organisations
involved in the
National Qualification
Platform
Total
Austria 5 80 85
Belgium 4 85 89
Bulgaria 2 42 44
Croatia 8 60 68
Cyprus 7 10 17
Czech Republic 14 58 72
Denmark 8 24 32
Estonia 7 12 19
Finland 5 73 78
France 7 192 199
FYROM 6 80 86
Germany 10 54 64
Greece 8 47 55
Hungary 5 31 36
Ireland 6 12 18
Italy 7 50 57
Latvia 9 30 39
Lithuania 5 25 30
Luxembourg 10 16 26
Malta 6 65 71
Norway 8 10 18
Poland 4 30 34
Portugal 3 34 37
Romania 8 271 279
Slovakia 4 37 41
Slovenia 5 31 36
Spain 4 35 39
Sweden 9 35 44
The Netherlands 7 147 154
UK 5 153 158
Total 196 1 829 2 025
22 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
Apart from these numbers there is also one project coordinator for each country i.e.
30 people, making the total number of registered people involved in the BUILD UP
Skills initiative at least 2055.
The findings from the interviews and the e-survey all document that there was a
significant need for stocktaking of the training needs in the building sector. Many of
the respondents say that they were surprised that the findings revealed a very high
number of unskilled workers and a large demand for training of workers. To many
this was new and very useful information to the sector. This information would not
have been gathered in this structured format without the EU funding.
2.4 Pillar I projects
In this section, the relevance of the BUILD UP Skills initiative design in relation to
the sector needs is addressed.
Identification of needs25
The EASME has commissioned a detailed study (the Ex-Ante Assessment report26
)
prior to the launch of the initiative (finalised in April 2010). The assessment
contains a thorough analysis of the situation in the building sector in terms of the
employment trends and skills requirements; both subjects are evaluated in the
analysis in terms of quality and quantity.
Stakeholder consultations were conducted as part of the ex-ante study. In total 21
interviews were conducted for the ex-ante assessment with people from different
stakeholder groups. Also a survey of two groups was conducted with energy
agencies and building sector trade associations.
Based on the thorough situation analysis, the interviews, the literature review and
desk research as well as a high level of consultation involving many EC services,
MS representatives and industry associations and stakeholders, the Ex-Ante
Assessment report identified needs, problems and principal barriers in the sector
and provided recommendations that resulted in the BUILD UP Skills initiative.
The main conclusions from the Ex-Ante Assessment report are:
› There will in the future be a shortage of trained workers with skills in energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings
› There is a need for collection of data on the number of skilled workers in Europe and the need for training in the future.
› There is a need for transparency on competences and qualifications in the building sector
25 Evaluation question 1. Did the calls for proposals related to BUILD UP Skills respond to the needs,
problems and challenges of the building sector?
26 Ex-ante evaluation of the initiative on the building workforce training and qualification in the field of
energy efficiency and renewable energy within the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
TREN/A2/143-2007, Ecorys, 2010.
The BUILD UP Skills
initiative is based on
a thorough situation
analysis
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
23
The Ex-Ante Assessment report pointed out the lack of EU level projects for
training of craftsmen, as there were already many EU level projects for engineers
and architects.
The Ex-Ante Assessment report recommended two stages of work: the first being
the collection of data and stakeholder consultation at individual MS level and the
second being the development and promotion of pilot training schemes. This
corresponds to the structure of Pillar I and Pillar calls for proposals under the
BUILD Up Skills initiative.
The synergy with other EU programmes was recommended to be improved by the
Ex-Ante Assessment report.
The assessment also identified key stakeholders and their positions in the market.
According to the ex-ante assessment the main target groups were:
› Technicians (non-graduate) › Installers (Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency equipment, Insulation,
HVAC)
› Energy managers and auditors › Buildings inspectors › Plumbers › Carpenters › Electricians
After conducting the interviews mentioned on the previous page, a large variety of
stakeholders were asked to give their input to the actual call for proposals. For the
Ex-Ante Assessment report, 22 energy agencies from different European countries
were addressed, as well as 17 building associations, 13 EU organisations /
programmes / policy makers and 2 European training foundations.
According to the interviews made for this evaluation report with the staff of EASME,
the level of involvement of MS and their stakeholders for preparing the initiative
has been very high. A number of dialogue meetings and consultations with
professional organisations have been organised before the launch of the Call for
Proposals and the conclusion from these meetings were that there was a
significant need for stocktaking of trained workers and training throughout the
Union and beyond.
Before the launch of the initiative, the main issue was the lack of data. The EASME
staff state that this lack of data resulted in the fact that only few coordinated
initiatives at Member State level were initiated before the BUILD UP Skills initiative.
The different stakeholders in each country had very little dialogue with each other
prior to the BUILD UP Skills initiative.
Many stakeholders
were consulted
before the Call for
Proposals
24 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
The Ex-Ante Assessment report27
also points out that there was a need for
addressing the non-technical barrier of workforce training, skills and qualifications
in the buildings energy efficiency and renewable energy workforce. The non-
technical barriers are in the ex-ante report described as: the fragmentation of the
buildings services and design markets; the owner dilemma (the landlord – tenant
disincentive); energy market distortions; regulatory barriers (e.g. planning); lack of
familiarity with, and risk aversion to, new technology; information barriers; cultural
and lifestyle habits; and the availability of products and the skilled workers to
design, build, install, operate and maintain them. These non-technical needs are
not further elaborated as they are falling outside the scope of the initiative.
The e-survey sent out under this evaluation to the stakeholders of the BUILD UP
Skills initiative indicates that 84% of respondents agree to the statement that the
BUILD UP Skills initiative addressed important needs in the building sector. 11%
answer that they disagree to this statement and 5% have no opinion on this issue.
Figure 9 - The BUILD UP Skills initiative addressed important needs in the building sector in my
country
Asked what was not addressed in the initiative, the answers from the respondent of
the e-survey can be divided into these four groups:
1 Other professions should also have been addressed like architects and
engineers as well as policymakers, media people, NGOs, developers and
property owners.
2 Workers with no education could also have been addressed under this
initiative.
3 Focus on skills required for renovating of e.g. historical buildings in energy
efficient ways.
4 Activities aimed at stimulating demand for energy efficiency in the building
sector.
All of the interviewed consortium coordinators except Norway agree that the call
responded to the needs, problems and challenges in their countries. Norway
explains that similar activities like the BUILD UP Skills initiative already has been
carried out in Norway.
27
Ex-ante evaluation of the initiative on the building workforce training and qualification in the field of
energy efficiency and renewable energy within the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme
TREN/A2/143-2007, Ecorys, 2010.
Additional needs
were identified
The BUILD UP Skills
initiative addressed
important needs
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
25
While some of the above comments are country and context specific, there are
certain remarks that seem to be shared by several of the respondents, notably on
the need to extend the initiative to other professions/white collars professions.
However, the evaluation team agrees that, while these needs exist, expanding the
initiative at the moment will require further preparatory work in order not to dilute
the efforts and disperse the resources.
Based on the interviews with the project coordinators, the most important aspect
for coordinators, proponents and stakeholders was to attain information about the
number of craftsmen needing training (stocktaking). This information was generally
not available prior to the initiative and few incentives were existent to carry out
such an exercise.
79% of the countries interviewed responded that the need for structured
stocktaking was very high whereas 21% disagree to this. Those who disagree,
argue that the information was not new to them but it was perhaps the first time it
was collected in one place.
The countries answering that there was a need for stocktaking argue that prior to
the initiative, only scarce and partial data was available to assess the training
needs of craftsmen in energy efficiency in their country. Where data was already
available, these data were not compiled or summarised. For instance in Finland,
France, Germany and Norway, some studies had already been carried out with
regards to the training needs of craftsmen in energy efficiency. The approach used
was, however not in line with the one used under the BUILD UP Skills initiative. In
Bulgaria the industry sector had carried out some analysis, but it was not very
coherent.
Effort needed to prepare the Calls for Proposals28
EASME staff describes the process of developing the Call for Proposals for the
BUILD UP Skills Initiative generally as much more work intensive and time
consuming than for other calls for proposals. The evaluation team has been
informed that EASME does not register hours spent on individual projects and it is
therefore not possible to validate whether more hours have been used preparing
the Calls for Proposals for this initiative. Before the Call was launched several
consultations with professional organisations were arranged with input from
Member States (e.g. energy agencies and ministries). These inputs revealed that it
was necessary to organise the initiative in a different way than EU projects are
usually organised (e.g. min. three EU countries). It also became clear that there
was a need for involving local stakeholders rather than involving organisations from
different countries.
The Calls for Proposals were made with fixed outcomes and pre-filled templates in
order to facilitate an easy comparison of the proposals. This work has, as
28 Evaluation question 9. How effective has the BUILD UP Skills approach (1 national project financed
with EU exchange activities, specific and more detailed guide for proposers and templates, outlines for
roadmaps and Status Quo report) been compared with the standard IEE type of projects (international
consortia)?
Perceived need from
Coordinators -
proponents,
stakeholders
Adequate time for
preparing Calls for
Proposals
26 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
mentioned before, been time-consuming to the staff of EASME but also much
appreciated by the proposers.
Asked whether the pre-filled templates for the proposal where useful, 16 of the
consortium coordinators, particularly those from countries with less experience in
responding to this type of proposals, found them very useful. Two of the countries
did not find the templates useful since they had already experience in completing
proposals for EU funding. The rest of the countries did not have an opinion on this
subject.
Preparing the proposals
The time from the launch of the Call for Proposals to the submission of the
proposals has been about five months for each call (the 2011 WP IEE II, the 2012
WP IEE II and the 2013 WP IEE calls). This meant that the proposers had
relatively little time to prepare the proposals. Asked whether the coordinators spent
more or less time preparing the proposals, nine countries answer they spent less
time for preparing the proposal than compared to other similar proposals, three
countries have spent more time and for two countries it was the same. Some of the
remaining countries have not prepared a proposal before and can therefore not
answer the question.
Whether more or less time is spent, there is consent that all felt that there was a lot
of pressure especially on finding suitable stakeholders and establish the platform
before the proposal. However, the interviewed consortium coordinators answer that
they had a very good understanding of what the Commission was looking for as
well as on the expected outcome of the project.
The staff of EASME estimated that they have used more internal resources
preparing the Calls for Proposals and attending the meetings before the launch of
the proposals than for other EU initiatives. However, as mentioned before, the
project time and resource tracking system within EASME does not allow for
registering time on individual projects. It is therefore difficult to assess the extent of
extra resources spent under the BUILD UP Skills initiative. The staff do, however,
express that the time spent before the launch has paid off, notably in the light of
the large number of high quality proposals.
After the launch of the first Call for Proposals in 2011, 41 proposals have been
submitted, out of which 2 were not considered eligible. Of the proposals 21 have
received funding. In 2012, 9 proposals have been submitted and all obtained
funding.
The objective of EASME in having one proposal per country (30 projects in total)
was thereby reached. The large number of high quality proposals and the large
number of projects accepted shows that the Call for Proposals addressed current
needs in all the countries. It also indicates that the Call for Proposals had been well
prepared and that the training of craftsmen in the areas of energy efficiency in the
construction sector was in high focus in the Member State countries.
Time from launching
the calls to signing
the contracts
Cost of launch and
selection procedure
Success rate of
BUILD UP Skills
proposals is high
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
27
Before launching the Call for Proposals the expectations from EASME were not
very high and the high number of quality proposals was therefore unexpected. This
also outlines the relevance of the initiative.
The interviewed consortium coordinators express their content with the
communication with the EASME staff in the proposal phase. They are mainly
pointing at the fact that the templates for the project were very helpful and that the
coordinators knew exactly what was expected of them and what they should
deliver. The management staff of EASME responded very quickly to questions
about the Call and it was possible to get feedback during the process.
The countries express that the information meetings before the launch of the Call
for proposals were very good. A few of the coordinators mentioned that they had
not attended the information meetings before preparing their proposal. The EASME
Project Advisors took part in all meetings.
From the interviews with the project managers, 10 countries have explicitly said
that they think this initiative has been more effective than similar projects (this does
not mean that the remaining project coordinators do not think that the initiative has
been effective, they have just not expressed any opinion on the question).
The fact that strict guidance and templates were provided was appreciated by the
countries, as this allowed them to focus their efforts on the content of the proposals
rather than the approach. Also, the elaboration of the consortia was reported to be
time consuming and the selection of the most appropriate partners was a key
success factor. This is especially true in larger countries.
Good project
management from
the EASME staff
Information meetings
prior to launching the
Calls for Proposals
The approach was
very effective
28 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
2.5 Pillar II Projects
The calls for proposals on Pillar II addressed support for the set-up or upgrade of
large-scale qualification and training scheme workers in the field of energy
efficiency and renewable energy in buildings after initial analysis of the situation –
i.e. Pillar I results. This was first eligible in 2012; the 2013 Work Programme was
the 2nd
opening for support to the implementation of national roadmaps'
recommendations.
Pillar II Projects must demon-
strate the extent to which
they build upon the results of
Pillar I projects in their re-
spective country, more
specifically highlighting their
level of contribution to the im-
plementation of the endorsed
roadmaps. The proposal from
Greece provides an excellent
visual presentation of the
linkages between the Pillar II
activities and how they relate
to the roadmap developed
under the Pillar I project.
Other proposals usually
provide tables to compare the
Pillar II intervention.
Understanding by specialised craftsmen of other's craftsmen's role and constraints
is a key factor to the successful implementation of technical solutions leading to
energy efficient buildings (either in renovation or new constructions). Several Pillar
II projects aim at tackling this cross craft dimension (e.g. Austria, Germany, Ireland,
etc.). Another important aspect tackled by most Pillar II projects is the training of
trainers. Indeed, most projects intend to achieve their impacts by the dissemination
of knowledge through knock-on effect of training.
Thanks to the interactions during the EU Exchange meetings, some Pillar II
Projects are working together. This is the case between Slovakia and Austria Pillar
II projects which are preparing a common dissemination event in 2016.
Figure 10: Pillar II from Greece outlining the
correspondence between the roadmaps (Pillar I)
and proposed actions under the Pillar II project
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
29
Common and specific performance indicators
Pillar II Projects are bound to report their progress (results) and expected
outcomes (impacts) during the period of execution of activities and beyond (2020).
Indicators common to all projects have been set and include:
› Number of training courses triggered by the action › Number of people that will be trained › Number of hours taught in the frame of the courses triggered › Estimated specific cost to qualify each trainee › Renewable Energy production triggered › Primary energy savings compared to projections › Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
In addition, projects have defined their specific indicators against which they are
due to report. In chapter 4 a methodology is suggested for the evaluation of the
Pillar II projects. So far only two projects are completed, the rest of the Pillar II
projects are ongoing and it is not possible to draw conclusions using the progress
reports against these indicators.
2.6 EU Exchange meetings
Evaluation of the added-value of the EU exchange activities29
Five European BUILD UP Skills exchange meetings have been arranged by
EASME for Pillar I. Consortium coordinators and consortium members attended the
exchange meetings.
In the interviews with the project coordinators, the interviewees expressed that
their expectations to the outcome of the first exchange meeting were not very high.
They mainly expected to receive information from the Commission rather than to
provide information themselves or to share knowledge. At the next meetings, the
participants became much more active.
The consortium coordinators were generally very content with the structure and the
organisation of the meetings. EASME used an external consulting company to
facilitate the support, the organisation and the logistics of the meetings; this has
been appreciated by the participants, since it allowed the EASME Project Advisors
to focus on the hosting of the meetings, exchanging and gathering the inputs from
the participants. Some of the participants express the opinion that although the
meetings were well prepared, not all the participants seemed to know what was
expected from them and some time was spent on explaining this. The meeting
language was in English with no translation. There are some comments on the lack
of translation making it difficult to get all the points from the presentations.
29 Evaluation question 2. Have EU exchange activities been an added-value for the targeted
stakeholders?
Five exchange
meetings have been
arranged
Expectations before
the meetings
The meetings were
effective and well
prepared
30 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
One of the recommendations from the project coordinators is to continue the work
with the exchange meetings and to keep the number of meeting to at least two per
year. The project coordinators also recommend continuing to split meetings in an
administrative and a project based part. The exchange within the peer groups
should also be continued. However, it is recommended to adapt the composition of
the peer review groups more to the characteristics of the countries respectively.
Due to the fact that 21 countries started before the last 9 countries, these first
countries were further ahead in the project than the remaining 9 countries. This
meant that at the exchange meetings, most of the first countries had a feeling of
repetition of subjects they had already covered at earlier meetings, whereas the
new countries could benefit from the experience from the other countries.
The first meeting was new to everybody, but already at the next meeting there was
a much better understanding of how the format of the meetings would be and what
the expected outcome of the meeting should be. Some of the more experienced
countries are expressing that they felt that they were giving more (information,
ideas etc.) to the other participants than what they received back.
Going through the meeting reports and the final reports from the participating
countries, it can be concluded that the meetings have resulted in added-value for
the participants in the form of the European dimension, exchange of information,
sharing of knowledge and networking. The countries have learned a lot from each
other and they have exchanged ideas e.g. on how to involve the stakeholders and
how to facilitate the endorsement process. Furthermore they have met the other
participants, which is also seen as very valuable.
However, there are also answers indicating that there was a lot of repetition during
the meetings, that the meetings could have been shorter and that the format with
all the countries presenting their results should be changed since a lot of the
information was the same from one country to the other. Some countries have
suggested splitting the meetings up so that some sessions would be for the less
experienced countries and some for the more experienced countries.
After the first meeting, EASME decided to initiate a peer-review system, were
groups with three countries were formed. In these groups, more in-depth
discussions about the projects could take place. 17 of the interviewed countries
found this a very good idea; some even considered the peer-groups to be one of
the major benefits of the initiative. Three countries did not think that they benefited
from the peer groups. While there is consent regarding the idea with the peer
groups, some participants were less content with the countries they were grouped
with. The participating countries had the possibility to make a wish for which
country they preferred to be grouped with, but it was not possible to fulfil all the
wishes and some countries did therefore not end up in the groups they had asked
for.
Some countries have on their own initiative arranged extra meetings with the
countries in their peer group (Austria, Finland, FYROM, Germany, Ireland and
Slovenia). Portugal thinks that the peer groups were more important than the
exchange meetings.
Some countries felt
that they were giving
more than they
received
The meeting
resulted in added-
value for the
participants
Peer groups have
assisted in the
exchange of
information and best
practices
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
31
The peer review groups were only active during the Pillar I projects. However,
some countries have continued arranging meetings with the peer groups outside
the project. For instance, Estonia who was in a group with Denmark and Lithuania
has for Pillar II cooperated with Finland, because a number of Estonian workers
travel to Finland to find work opportunities.
The number of participants to the exchange meetings has been relatively steady
from the first exchange meeting to the last under Pillar I. This indicates that the
exchange activities have been an added-value for the participants. The number of
people attending the last meeting (November 2013) was actually fairly low
compared to the others. The drop in attendance in the last meeting can be
explained by the lower number of Pillar II projects (22).
Figure 11: Number of participants to EU Exchange meetings30
According to the majority of the participants, the most important outcome of the
meetings has been the possibilities for networking and exchanging ideas - e.g. on
how to involve and motivate the stakeholders or how to get the Roadmap
endorsed. The exchange of ideas meant that the participants could improve and
adjust their own activities. The concept of the peer group is mentioned by the
interviewed countries as a good practice and it is said that it was much easier to
work in these smaller groups.
30
The number of participants is taken from different sources. When participants list was available, the
number of participants does not include EC and EASME representatives. For the first meeting, the
number of attendees is estimated as no exact figures could be found.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
EU Exchange
meeting N°1 -
Nov-2011
EU Exchange
meeting N°2 -
Jun-2012
EU Exchange
meeting N°3 -
Nov-2012
EU Exchange
meeting N°4 -
Apr-2013
EU Exchange
meeting N°5 -
Nov-2013
Number of participants
Trends in
attendance rate
Exchange of ideas at
the meetings
32 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
3 Outcomes of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative
In this chapter, the evaluation looks at the outcomes and impacts of the BUILD UP
Skills initiative throughout the EU, FYROM and Norway. The analysis is split
between Pillar I activities and Pillar II activities. This section also presents the
identified factors of successes and failures (or underperformance) of the projects.
3.1 Pillar I projects
The expected outcomes of the Pillar I projects are specified in the Call for
Proposals and are the same for each country:
The set-up of a National Qualification Platform;
A Status Quo Analysis (SQA) with an analysis of the workforces, the
national education system for vocational training, an assessment of the
training needs and an evaluation of the future lack of workforce in the area
of energy efficiency and energy renovation.
A fact sheet with a summary of the statistical information in each country;
A roadmap of actions for future training and market activities needed to
reach national objectives by 2020 with their level of priority and the key
stakeholders to be involved.
A Project Report summarising the implementation of the projects.
In the following, the outcome of the projects is analysed through a review of the
project documents and correlated to the answer from the interviews with the project
coordinator and the answers from the e-survey.
Establishment of National Qualification Platforms
The objective of establishing National Qualification Platforms was to bring relevant
stakeholders involved in the building sector, the education sector and the energy
sector together in order to be able to obtain all the necessary information required
for the Status Quo Analysis and also to serve as a framework for the development
of recommendations for the roadmap.
National Qualification Platforms
Evaluation of the BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS) 33
The start of the Pillar I projects involved the establishment of a National
Qualification Platform. Going through the final project reports from each country, it
can be seen that the task has been addressed in different ways. However, the
activities carried out under the National Qualification Platforms are more or less the
same:
› Gathering relevant stakeholders (representatives of the industry associations, educational and vocational training institutes, business entities, research
institutes and relevant public authorities, social partners, etc.). Some of the
stakeholders were identified before the project started and others have been
identified after the start of the project.
› Facilitating a website for the project with minutes from the meetings and information about the project.
› Facilitate conferences/meetings where the Status Quo Analysis has been presented for the stakeholders and where they can comment on the analysis.
› Bilateral meetings with e.g. guilds, chambers of commerce, training institutions etc.
› Workshops with discussions and input to the Roadmaps with the aim of endorsing the Roadmaps.
Some countries express that the work with the platform has been as planned, for
others it turned out to be a challenge to include the relevant participants in the
stakeholder platform partly due to the fact that the BUILD UP Skills Initiative was
not known to them at that time and the project was therefore of low interest to the
potential stakeholders (Denmark). This challenge was overcome by changing the
plans for the meetings slightly and by spending more time than originally planned
on information activities. According to the factsheets prepared by the project
coordinators, about 1 800 people have been involved in the work with the National Qualification Platforms.
In France the website was also used to collect documents to be used for the
Status Quo Analysis. More than 130 documents were collected on the website.
However, in France, it turned out to be rather difficult to get a total overview of the
input of documents which made it difficult to manage priorities and sometimes
made it necessary to redo the work using more recent or more relevant
documents.
Lithuania is pointing at the challenge of attracting and raising the interest of
relevant stakeholders. The challenge was overcome by increasing the contact on
telephone and e-mails to the potential stakeholders. This successfully resulted in
the involvement of about 50 Lithuanian organisations.
Malta also agrees to the difficulties of attaining the attention of the stakeholders:
“many stakeholders have their own priorities and BUILD UP Skills would not
necessarily be high up in that list of priorities”.
For all the countries the set-up of the platforms has been crucial to the rest of the
outcome of the project. The project coordinators have expressed that it has been a
good support that the process of the platform was well-known right from the
beginning.
34 Evaluation of BUILD UP Skills Initiative (BUS)
The Status Quo Analysis (SQA)
The objective of the Status Quo Analysis was to establish information about the
number of workers in each country and to be able to assess the need for training of
workers in the building industry in energy efficient technologies.
The work with the Status Quo Analysis contains the collection of national statistical
information about numbers of employed workers in the construction sector and an
estimate on the need for new blue collar workers until 2020. It also contains an
estimate on the need for training of workers in energy efficient technologies as well
as an analysis of the barriers and gaps.
The report “BUILD UP Skills – EU overview report Staff working document” has
analysed the content of the SQA reports and has compiled these findings:
› The BUILD UP Skills target group (craftsmen and on-site workers) in the participating countries can be estimated at a total of about 7.6 million workers
and make up for around 57% of the construction sector.
› The construction sector is a major employer in the EU and is composed of a large majority of micro-companies.
› The grey economy is an important factor in this sector although there seems to be large variations between countries.
› The building workforce includes a relatively high proportion of lower-skilled workers.
› The migration of the building workforce is an important issue. Some countries highlight the difficulties in keeping the highly specialised building workers in
the country since it may be more attractive to work in other countries.
› There is an increased demand for upgrading of qualifications.
The collection of the statistical material proved more difficult than expected to
many of the countries. However, once the numbers were gathered, it proved to be
new information to most of the countries. A transverse conclusion across all the
participating countries is that there in the near future will be a shortage of trained
workers and that it will be a major challenge to reach the 20-20-20 targets without
increased activities in the area of training of workers in energy efficient
technologies.
The major difficulties encountered for this work mainly concerned the significant
lack of up-to-date data for the majority of the aspects examined in the Status Quo.
Approximately 66% of the project coordinators have in the interviews answered
that the SQA brought new information; about 33% thinks that this is not the case.
Some of the countries, who do not think that the SQA brought new information,
answer that it is however the first time this information is collected in this way and
in one place. The new inform