Build Up Skills II – QUALITRAIN

The EU Project Qualitrain focused on the basic and advanced vocational training of the construction workforce in the field of energy-efficient construction and refurbishment. The project was set up to boost training in this specific area. In the context of the project, particularly important measures under the national qualification plan from the preceding project "Build Up Skills I - Qualergy" were to be implemented.

This referred to the following measures:

• Development of advanced training involving all trades which includes the subjects of “interfaces between the trades” and “the house as an overall system”
• Preparation, testing and dissemination of a training concept resulting in better teacher/trainer qualifications (attendance lectures and e-learning)
• Drawing up a staff development concept in the construction sector with a special focus on SMEs
• Greater transparency in the training market via the establishment of a respective database and a training consultancy concept

Qualitrain follows up on the “Built Up Skills I – Qualergy” project. In the context of the latter, the project partners analysed whether the size of the construction workforce and the level of their qualifications is sufficient to achieve the 2020 energy efficiency targets for the building sector. As a result of the project, it was found that both the number of tradespeople and their level of qualification needed to be increased. This led to the preparation of a national qualification plan which served as the basis for the Qualitrain project.

The Qualitrain consortium consisted of six partners. Headed by the Zentralverband des deutschen Handwerks, ZDH (German Confederation of Skilled Trades), the partners included dena, the Forschungsinstitut für Berufsbildung im Handwerk an der Universität zu Köln, FBH (Research Institute for Vocational Training in Skilled Crafts at the University of Cologne), the Heinz-Piest-Institut für Handwerkstechnik an der Leibnitz Universität Hannover, HPI (Institute for Skilled Crafts Technology at Leibnitz University Hanover), the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung, BIBB (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training), the Zentralstelle für die Weiterbildung im Handwerk, ZWH (Central Agency for Continuing Vocational Education and Training in the Skilled Crafts) and the Zentralverband deutsches Baugewerbe, ZdB (Central Association of the German Building Trade). Their work was supported by the national platform, an initiative involving 56 organisations, including chambers of skilled trades, government ministries and architectural associations.

The project was launched on 1 November 2013 and ran until 30 June 2016.

www.bauinitiative.de