The Bus.Trainers project aims to increase competitiveness in the construction sector, through the promotion of skills and competencies in energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy systems (RES) in Vocational Training (VET) trainers, so that these trainers then transmit the new skills to the workers and future employees of the industry. VET trainers play a crucial role in transferring knowledge to current and future workers in the sector. Based on European trends, the skills development of VET trainers in energy efficiency and renewable energy is the necessary advance to address the weak link between education and innovation in EE and RES in the sector.
By creating a network through the Bus.Trainers project, the main sectorial organizations of countries of the south of the European Union and the VET providers will start an alliance that will firmly commit to these new competences, which is expected to gradually involve other interested agents.
The general objective of the project is to jointly develop a comprehensive training system for professional trainers in order to improve teaching in sustainable construction, through interconnected activities. The approval of a new European sectorial qualification standard will be sought, the Green VET Trainer in construction, following the methodology of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), oriented to learning outcomes and supported by the principles of European Credit System for Professional Education and Training (ECVET) and the European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (Eqavet).
Also, a certification of competences will be validated through the Green Tag accreditation, granted by the specific learning experience from BuS.Trainers or by previous learning, and a memorandum of understanding or multilateral agreement to promote mutual recognition in various member states of the EU.
During the project, a collaborative platform will be created to build community and support teachers in their continuous professional development (lifelong learning throughout life), through an open and innovative training course with new technologies for computers and mobile devices (app), which will be available in five languages, and will have other services and tools for professional guidance, teaching repository, tutorials, etc.
The project will have a positive impact on VET education providers, who will improve their training portfolio; in VET apprentices and workers, who will receive up-to-date knowledge about EE and RES competences; in companies, which will have skilled and competitive workers; and in the rest of the industry and the end user -the citizen- who will recognize the added value of cooperation between industry agents and industry, in the design and execution of efficient programs.
