On 23rd and 24th May, the partners of the HABITABLE Project met in Aveiro to celebrate the Multiplier Event in Portugal and the 2nd Transnational Partners Meeting. The project’s 2nd Multiplier Event, entitled ‘Transforming Competences 4 Sustainable Habitat’, took place at the University of Aveiro and was co-organised by the partners Cluster Habitat Sustentável and CTCV. The event, which addressed the importance of green and digital skills in transforming the Habitat value chain, kicked off with an opening session by António Baio Dias (CTCV), followed by a speech entitled ‘Habitable – Alliance of Centres of Excellence in Vocational Training for Sustainable Habitat’ by Carmen Devesa (AEICE), who presented the project’s guidelines, objectives and expected results. The event continued with the intervention of Hélder Gonçalves (LNEG), who spoke about ‘Green Skills for Sustainable Habitat’, followed by a Panel Discussion on the same theme, moderated by Victor Ferreira (Cluster Habitat Sustentável). The panel featured interventions from: Ribeiro Anabela, University of Coimbra Ana Santana, Grestel – Produtos Cerâmicos, S.A. Francisco Paiva, AICCOPN António Neves, University of Aveiro Hugo Rodrigues, Ordem dos Engenheiros After the panel discussion, Sophie Patrício (Centre Region Coordination Commission) presented the Institutional Pact for Valuing the Circular Economy in the Centre Region and Ana Neves (Erasmus+ National Agency) presented the results achieved in ‘2023 – European Year of Skills’. The closing session was led by Victor Ferreira (University of Aveiro), who emphasised the topicality and relevance of reflecting on the issues discussed during this event, highlighting the decisive role that the HABITABLE project seeks to play in this discussion and its possible solutions. On 24th, also at the University of Aveiro, the project partners held their second face-to-face working meeting – ‘2nd Transnational Partners Meeting’, organised by the partner Cluster Habitat Sustentável, where they discussed the results of the tasks completed so far, presented the status of the tasks under development and planned the start of new tasks in the different WPs.

With the objective of building up an online space devoted to skills: from acquisition and recognition to guidance. HABITABLE SKILLS HUB will provide VET teachers, learners, and SMEs employees, with labour market relevant skills, including those necessary for the green and digital transitions. This multifunctional hub will contain: An Online Training Centre, with different MOOCs and courses for trainers, SMEs and VET learners, A Curricula Digital Database, A Micro-credentials Certification Centre, A Career Guidance Space, with a SMART Career Guidance Assistant tool and a Career Guidance Handbook for the Habitat sector. As, this space will integrate smart data and information from previous project developments as the Sector Map of Jobs and Skills, the Training Offer Panel or the WBL for ALL Space, partners used the 2nd TPM – Transnational Partners Meeting in Aveiro, Portugal, to discuss the challenges of these tools.

One goal related to the co-creation of the Habitat Skills Ecosystem is to establish an Habitat Sector Skills Strategy. With this purpose, a working paper on the skills strategy and ecosystem for the Habitat sector was prepared and presented by the General Director of Vocational Education and Training of the Education Ministry in Castilla y León, Mr. Agustín Siguenza, on the HABITABLE Kick-off meeting celebrated in October 2023. This document outlines a strategy for developing professional capacities in the Habitat sector, starting by establishing the desired approach for this assignment  and then continuing with the description of the skills ecosystem model. The document was shared with the project partners for feedback, and after incorporating contributions, the final version was presented at 2nd TPM – Transnational Partners Meeting in Aveiro, Portugal, in May 2024. Having completed the first steps of this task, the current efforts are now concentrated on defining and integrating recommendations for implementing the International Network Alliance.

Last March 20th, “the European Commission presented an action plan to tackle labour and skills shortages and proposes to work together with Member States and social partners to address these issues over the coming months and years. The action plan is part of the EU’s strategy to boost its competitiveness and enhance its economic and social resilience. The labor shortage that has been observed for more than a decade in Europe is due to several factors such as demographic changes but also to the search for new skills that allow companies to make their way in the green and digital transition. In this context, the European Commission identified 42 “missing” professions, with some differences between Member States.” (in European Commission press release) From an economic point of view, a vast set of activities are developed in the different sectors of the HABITAT value chain, which integrate a large number of professional occupations, multiple profiles and qualifications, with a diverse range of skills. The sectors of the HABITAT value chain constitute an essential ecosystem to respond to the various challenges that the European Union faces, namely, from climate change to the sustainability of urban and industrial interventions, with human capital being a critical factor for the Green and Digital Transition of this ecosystem. However, organizations belonging to these sectors have difficulty attracting and recruiting professionals, and there is also an inadequacy of the skills of these profiles to respond to the aforementioned challenges. It is therefore essential to attract more people and equip them with the appropriate skills. On May 23, in Aveiro (Portugal) we will bring together experts, professionals from the Habitat sector, business associations, training providers, higher education institutions, teachers/trainers and other stakeholders for an afternoon of reflection and debate on the empowerment the workforce (current and future) for the green and digital transition. Stay tunned, the agenda will be released soon!

On 15th March, the partners of the HABITABLE project came together to discuss the development of a ground-breaking Skills Intelligence Monitoring System (SIMS) for the Habitat sector in an online workshop. This system, that aims to bridge the gap between training and the needs of the labour market, is being co-designed by the HABITABLE partners and will compile valuable data on training needs, strategic competences, and available training offers within the sector. The SIMS will not only forecast skills gaps but also track current and future trends in jobs and skills within the Habitat sector. Additionally, it will provide valuable input for updating resources like the Sector Map of Jobs and Skills and the Training Offer Panel – TOP HABITAT.