Proceedings from the CA Joint Workshop in Madrid, September 2023

Published 15-11-2023

Meeting the 2030 targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the EU is dependent on the availability of qualified labour. However, as it stands there is a shortage of qualified workers in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.

Joint workshop on workforce shortages and upskilling for the clean energy transition

The three Concerted Actions for the Renewable Energy Directive, Energy Efficiency Directive and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (CA RES, CA EED and CA EPBD) held their second joint workshop in Madrid on the 28th and 29th September focused on skills for the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.

As a contribution to the European Year of Skills 2023, the workshop aimed to encourage cooperation and coordination between the institutions that are implementing the three directives and explore challenges and opportunities to make the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors more attractive to prospective workers and standardise training requirements.

The workshop succeeded in bringing together experts from many different backgrounds and it was encouraging to see that there were already many good practices and programmes being implemented by the Member States.

Session topics

The workshop covered a variety of topics with sessions on:

  • EU projects aimed at decarbonisation and innovative approaches to upskilling the building workforce
  • Member States’ policy approaches and support programmes
  • Energy Performance Contracting and the public sector
  • Cross-border recognition of skills and workforce
  • Heat pump training of installers

Joint workshop proceedings

To read and download the documents and presentations from each of the sessions, please click on the links below. Further information is available  in Glasscubes for CA EPBD members.

Joint Workshop Agenda 

Joint Workshop Summary of Proceedings

Presentations

Introduction session: European policies and programmes & skills for a holistic approach to the building renovation process

Session lead presentation

Stelina Chatzichristou, Skills in transition: the importance of skills intelligence

Henri Le Marois, The FIT onsite training programme, France

Jan Cromwijk, The BUILD UP Skills Advisor App

Daniel Encinas, The HousEEnvest project, Spain

Session 1: Member States policy approaches and support programmes – forecasting and needs assessment

BAFA , Key occupations and key competences in energy efficiency, Germany

Pawel Gilewski, Educational and qualification needs in Poland

Marie Claesson, Competence supply for electrification in Sweden

Swedish Energy Agency, Summary of mapping and analysis of skills needs for electrification in Sweden (report)

Session 2: Building public body competence for Energy Performance Contracting

Joe Hayden, EnPC in Ireland – success, challenges and solutions

Marek Tobiacelli, Polish model of support for public entities in the process of preparing, concluding and monitoring EPC contract

Eva Athanatakou  & Argyro Giakoumi, Approaches to address the hesitance of municipal staff to engage in EnPC, Greece

Marika Rošā, Energy performance contracting for public building renovation: experience from Latvia

Session 3: Member States policy approaches and support programmes – incorporating the clean energy transition into workforce policy programmes

Sara Ochelen, Capacity and skills needed for the Renovation Strategy in Flanders

Session 4: Cross border mutual recognition of workforce groups

Conor Molloy, Energy auditor mutual recognition survey results

Session 5: Member States policy approaches and support programmes – workforce development

Hossam Boutaibi, Action plan green and digital jobs – The Netherlands

Barbara Alexander-Bittner, Klimaaktiv – Austria

Session 6: Heat pumps – Member State approaches to installation, deployment and financing mechanisms

Session lead presentation

Christiane Egger, A regional heat pump market example – Upper Austria

Jan Magyar, Training of HP installers and „Green for Households“ support scheme for small-scale RES – Slovakia

Session 7: Member States policy approaches and support programmes – training and education

Session lead presentation

Elena Pita, Training for green transition: The Empleaverde Programme – Spain

Anna Breuer, Social energy advice – a new concept to complement traditional energy advice – Austria

Tadeusz Skoczkowski, Hidden knowledge gap in academic education on energy efficiency – Poland

Session 8: Heat pumps – action plans and training programmes

Session lead presentation

Marta San Román, Initiatives and challenges on green skills for heat pumps in Spain

Randall Hanegraaf, Dutch hybrid heat pump plan

Katja Weinhold, Heat pump ramp up in Germany

Oliver Jung, Skills for heat-pumps – getting the carrots right!