The green and digital transition of construction is one of Europe's main challenges for achieving the goal of a zero-net carbon economy by 2050.

The strong push for process innovation in construction from a Smart & Green Building perspective is coupled with skill innovation and upgrading among profiles working in all phases of the sector, from design to maintenance, regeneration, and demolition of buildings.

In Europe, the labour market in the construction sector will be increasingly oriented towards highly qualified profiles with third-level qualifications. Experience and high qualifications will be sought after transnationally, and a standard system for the recognition of qualifications as well as for the assessment of competences may be among the factors facilitating further investment in the sector.

Among the challenges facing the sector, besides preparing and developing workers' skills, attracting young people to this sector and retraining the active workforce are common priorities in several European countries.

Faced with these emergencies, the vocational education and training systems of different Member States are slow in introducing the skills and competences supporting the green and digital transition (Transitional Skills) into their training offerings. Furthermore, competence recognition frameworks remain segmented among Member States, without sharing a common standard for the certification of transitional skills.

On these grounds, the Erasmus program recognised the expertise and co-financed the establishment of the CoVE dedicated to Transitional Skills in the construction sector: BuildSkills Academy

The BuildSkills Academy for transitional skills will support skills ecosystems to drive the green and digital transition in the sector by developing a transnational cooperation platform of CoVEs - Centre of Educational Excellence in Europe with the objective of promoting excellence in vocational education and training for the construction sector.

Bringing together 17 partners representing the training, industry partnership, and sustainability systems from 7 EU countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Germany, and France), 2 associated countries (Serbia and Norway), and 1 non-associated country (Bosnia and Herzegovina), the BuildSkills Academy will be committed to the following objectives:

• identify and promote a BuildEnrichedSkills methodology and procedure for adapting training offerings that will serve VET centers in Europe to adapt their offerings more quickly and prepare workers for the digital and green transition in high-demand occupations.
• Design and promote a Transitional Skills recognition framework, consistent with European and national VET systems

The results will be transferred to the 10 member countries of the CoVE BuildSkills Academy, reaching the following targets:

• 6 pilot projects
• 300 apprentices
• 100 VET training providers
• 1000 companies
• 20 high-level organisations in the field of building skills
• 100 VET-industry co-operations for vocational excellence.