BUILD UP Skills – analysis of the current state of the Swedish construction industry and its training in energy-efficient building

Panel: 5B. Cutting the energy use of buildings: Policy and programmes

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Åke Blomsterberg, Energy and Building Design
Lund University, Sweden

Abstract

The energy and climate objectives for 2020 demand major initiatives from the building sector, including the raising of skill levels. The EU programme Intelligent Energy Europe has initiated BUILD UP Skills projects in 30 countries across Europe. Each country runs its own project. The aim of the Swedish project is the production of a roadmap and platforms for vocational development and skills improvement for all those who work on building sites. Further education primarily concerns the production of energy-efficient buildings, as well as learning how to install systems for renewable energy and carry out low-energy building renovations. In Sweden, this also includes a review of basic training.

The workforce of the construction industry is relatively well-educated. The building sector is, to a certain extent, fragmented into different branches and organisations. Internationalisation can be seen, although the exact extent of is unknown.

The proportion of low-energy buildings in new production is still low, but expected to rise in the coming years. Up to now, the number of annually low energy renovated apartments is low.

Approximately 100,000 skilled workers within the construction industry need to receive vocational development in order to achieve the 2020 goal.

Potential barriers to the implementation of the training are financial, institutional, cultural and social factors, as well as a lack of time, in addition to the fact that too few low-energy buildings are being built or are carrying out low-energy renovations. Many of these barriers could be overcome if the demand for energy efficient buildings increased strongly.

The paper will present an analysis of the current status of the building sector, a review of current and planned strategies for training within the field of energy, in addition to an analysis of the skills that are required on the building site and a preliminary analysis of the barriers which exist.