Fundación Laboral de la Construcción coordinates the #Pact4YouthEU initiative, co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Comission, which aims to act in favour of the employability of young people, through a participatory methodology based on collaboration between sectoral repsentatives and VET providers in the sector in Spain (Confederación Nacional de la Construcción -CNC- y la Fundación Laboral de la Construcción), Cyprus (OSEOK y KEPO), Greece (PEDMEDE y U Studies) and Italy (ANCE y FORMEDIL).

The project aims to provide solutions to the high rate of youth unemployement (almost 30% in Spain, Greece and Italy, compared to an average of 15% in the rest of EU), and the difficulty of the sector in attracting new workers for generational replacement. This objective will be pursued through the development of different actions that lead to a regional, national or European solutions that will address the training and empowerment of young people within the sector, as well as their employability.

For this purpose, during the next two years, the eight European partners will work in the development of a Roadmap and an Action Plan to boost the employability of young people in the construction sector, as well as promoting the signing of Collaboration Agreements between SMEs and training centres to implement the reception of trainees, and various actions will be carried out to bring young people and companies closer together.

Project contributions at national and European level

Today's construction is marked by ecological and digital transition. Climate change, the trend towards a “green” economy and increased digitalisation all present significant opportunities for job creation in the sector. In this way, the Green Deal or the Wave of Renewal confirm the need to the number of skilled workers. According to the latest figures, it is estimated that around 700,000 new workers will be needed by 2026. While in Italy the figure ranges from 339,000 to 376,000 workers; or in Greece, where it is estimated that around 20,000 new professionals will be needed by 2030.

Therefore, the quilification of working-age people is crucial and it must be adjusted to the need of companies, which at the same time must adapt to respond to the new regulations an directives. At this point, the project seeks to establish new approaches and tools to help change the social image of the sector and attract talent.

#Pact4YouthEU encourages the vision that construction is an essential sector (European economic engine), modern, innovative and forward-looking, professionalised, well-paid, with a wide range of different activities, collaborative and digitalised work.

Challenges addressed by #Pact4YouthEU 

Based on the current context, the eight partner organisations have launched this European project to rebuil the image of the sector, through these actions:

• The ellaboration of a Roadmap for the employability of young people
• Promotion of intermediation services and educational accompaniment/guidance measures.
• Signing of collaboration agreements between SMEs and training centres to stimulate the reception of young trainees and on-the-job training programmes (alternance, dual).
• Jornadas de puertas abiertas y exhibiciones demostrativas prácticas para aumentar el interés de los más jóvenes por el sector de la construcción.
• Awareness-raising, communication and dissemination campaigns targeting young people.
• Stimulate the SMEs’ participation in the opportunities offered by the market in its conversion towards sustainability, through collaboration between manufacturers, large companies and small and medium-sized enterprises, through campaings, master classes, conferences, …
• Promote adherence to the Pact for Skills for Europe's construction sector in the industry ecosystem.

Pact for Skills for the construction sector

It is an iniciative of the European Comission presented through the European Skills Agenda, with the main European sectoral organisations -the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), the European Federation of Building and Wood Workers (EFBWW), and the European Builders' Confederation (EBC)- being the drivers of the Pact in the case of the construction industry in order to support a fair and resilient recovery and to contribute to the green and digital transition demanded by the sector.

The #Pact4YouthEU project adheres to the fourth principle of Pact for Skills, which focuses on attracting more young people and women to the sector by:

• Promoting activities adapted to specific target groups.
• Take into account the needs and capacities of people, included personal and professional needs.
• Develop awareness-raising campaigns about job opportunities.
• Improve the sector image.
• Promote gender equality and the integration of gender perspective in the training and professional programmes.