Fundación Laboral de la Construcción is part of the 'HABITABLE' project consortium, co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union, which aims to respond to the challenges and need of the habitat sector in terms of skills shortages and mismatches due to the digital and green transition, improving the responsiveness of Vocational Training Centres to this changes, and at the same time promoting the inclusion and diversity in the education.

‘HABITABLE’ is part of the alliance projects of Centres of Excellence in Vocational Training which promote the excellence in VET, conecting this education system with innovation and skills ecosystems.

With this purpose, the project, made up of some twenty partners from six European countries (Spain, Austria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova and Portugal) and coordinated by AEICE Clúster de Hábitat Eficiente, will create a Platform of the Centres of Excellence in Vocational Training in the habitat sector, adopting a strategic approach to the involvement of VET institutions that will actively contribute to the creation of “skills ecosystem”, alongside local and regional partners (including Fundación Laboral) and others Centres of Excellence in Vocational Training from different countries thatn those forming part of the consortium, through the creation of international collaboration networks.

Objectives of 'HABITABLE'

The habitat industrial ecosystem includes different sectors and complementary industries within the construction value chain, such as: the building and renovation, quarries, cement, ceramic, tiles and bricks, wood, furniture and cork, plaster, lime and plaster, urban sanitation, gardening, waste revaluation and management, auxiliary services... Therefore, it is considered a strategic and indispensable sector to address the green and digital transition that the European Union is facing.

All these complementary sectors are key to the growth of companies, the utilization of raw materials and endogenous resources, territorial cohesion, and the transformation of cities or towns, where human capital plays a fundamental role. However, companies report a shortage of workers as well as mismatches in qualifications, so one of the challenges is to attract more people to the sector and provide them with the appropriate skills, especially young people, to ensure the generational turnover of the industry workforce.

Therefore, the European initiative 'HABITABLE' arises to incentivize the improvement and recycling of qualifications, and thus, through training, reap the benefits of the ecological transition.

Promoting the training in the Habitat sector

The project responds to the needs identified in the Sectorial Habitat Plan, approved in 2022 by the regional government, which establishes a consensual roadmap for the transformation of Castilla y León. This Plan is structured around six axes: ecological transition, digital transition, territorial cohesion, business reinforcement, image and dissemination, and equal opportunities (gender and youth).

In this sense, through this initiative, the partners aim to offer degrees with high added value, capable of attracting students, providing appropriate training, maximizing employability, and facilitating their integration into the job market.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.