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Overview

Country:
Bulgaria

Level of Outreach:
National

Field of Interest(s):
Green and sustainable construction (e.g. circular economy, demolition phase, waste reduction in constructions, application of circular design principles, integrating sustainability and circular economy principles into procurement processes), Energy efficiency and renewable energy (e.g. building envelope and thermal performance, renewable energy technologies, insulation, air tightness and ventilation, heat pumps and photovoltaics), Digitalization & industrialization (e.g. integrating AI practices, using CAD software for 2D and 3D, industrialized and modular construction, use of prefabricated building systems), Transversal skills (health and safety, soft skills, entrepreneurial skills, etc.) (e.g. enhance communication and conflict resolution within conflict teams, improving time management, problem-solving and critical thinking within construction teams), Promotion of the attractiveness of the Construction Industry (e.g. promoting diversity and gender equality, increasing youth participation and apprenticeships, enhancing career paths and mobility within the sector, raising awareness of the sector)

Supported By:
EU

Description

The BuildSkills Academy is a Center of Vocational Excellence - an EU-funded initiative supporting the construction sector’s transition to greener and more digital practices by addressing critical skills gaps. It introduces the BuildEnrichedSkills Methodology (BESM) and a dedicated Digital Platform to help VET providers assess and enhance training programmes. By fostering collaboration between industry, education, and policy stakeholders, the project enables more responsive skills development and promotes a qualified workforce aligned with future labour market needs.

Project/Initiative Data

Project/Initiative Website:
https://buildskillsacademy.com/

Start Date:
June 1, 2023

End Date:
May 31, 2027

Total Budget:
3 938 490 EUR

What makes this project/initiative unique?:
It addresses to a variety of European priorities (e.g. the aforementioned European Skills Agenda, the European Green Deal or the Digital Agenda), It identifies the training needs for developing adequate programs in respect of trasversal skills, promotion and attractiveness of construction industry, energy efficiency, digitalization, green and sustainable construction, It integrates the necessary construction green skills in VET

Partners

The consortium combines 17 educational, industrial and exploitation partners from 10 European countries with the aim to bridge the knowledge and certification gaps in the construction sector on EU level. The Bulgarian ecosystem is represented by Cleantech Bulgaria (Project Coordinator), Construction Qualification (the VET center of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber) and the Confederation of employers and industrialists in Bulgaria (the biggest employers’ organization in the country).

Aim

The BuildSkills Academy project aims to address persistent and emerging skills gaps in the construction sector by supporting the transition toward green, energy-efficient, and digitalised building practices. It responds to the growing demand for a workforce capable of delivering sustainable construction solutions aligned with EU climate targets and the Renovation Wave.
The project’s core objective is to modernise vocational education and training (VET) systems and to strengthen collaboration between industry, training providers, and policy stakeholders. In doing so, it promotes a more responsive, resilient, and future-oriented skills ecosystem.
A central pillar of the initiative is the development and multi-stakeholder validation of the BuildEnrichedSkills Methodology (BESM), which enables the identification, enrichment, and integration of key competencies, particularly in energy efficiency, digitalisation, and transversal skills, into existing occupational profiles and training programmes.
The project further advances with the aim of improving the attractiveness of the construction sector by promoting lifelong learning opportunities, upskilling and reskilling pathways, and more flexible, learner-centred approaches supported by digital tools.

Target Groups:
The BuildSkills Academy targets a broad range of stakeholders across the construction skills ecosystem, with a particular focus on those directly involved in skills development and implementation.
Primary target groups include:
• Vocational education and training (VET) providers, trainers, and curriculum developers, who play a key role in integrating emerging skills into training provision;
• Companies and industry representatives, including SMEs, who require a skilled workforce aligned with evolving market needs and technological developments;
• Construction workers and professionals, especially those in need of upskilling and reskilling in order to acquire the green and digital competences required for future-oriented occupations, including (but not limited to) green construction, energy efficiency, and the use of digital tools;
• Sectoral associations, chambers, and clusters, which play a crucial role in raising awareness of current market trends, supporting companies in the upskilling of the existing workforce, and contributing to improving the sector’s attractiveness, including the inclusion of young people and women.
With specific regard to the BuildEnrichedSkills Methodology, the focus further extends to:
• Skills experts and sectoral organisations involved in defining and updating occupational standards and qualifications;
• Policy makers and public authorities, who can support the adoption and exploitation of the methodology at EU level;
• Training designers and instructional developers, who apply the methodology to enrich curricula with transversal, green, and digital skills.
The methodology is particularly relevant for stakeholders seeking structured, adaptable, and evidence-based approaches to updating skills frameworks in response to the green and digital transitions.

Outcomes

Results of the project/initiative:
The BuildSkills Academy has delivered a key innovative result in the form of the BuildEnrichedSkills Methodology (BESM) and its supporting Digital platform, both designed to facilitate skills intelligence and curriculum enhancement in the construction sector.
The BESM provides a structured, step-by-step approach to:
• identify emerging skills gaps (green, digital, transversal);
• analyse and map these skills against existing occupational profiles;
• enrich qualifications and training content in a modular, flexible, and targeted way.
It enables VET providers to self-assess their training provision and to update and adapt it in line with current and anticipated market needs. This process is supported by a tailor-made course assessment report, which delivers practical and ready-to-use recommendations for course enrichment, including the integration of green and digital skills, the application of innovative teaching and assessment methods, and the strengthening of quality assurance mechanisms.
The assessment is based on a comprehensive List of skills and competencies for different occupations and EQF levels in the construction sector, developed in alignment with the European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) taxonomy. The overall approach is further reinforced by a dedicated process for quality assurance of enriched VET courses, developed in accordance with the European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (EQAVET) framework.
The methodology has been tested and validated through extensive multi-stakeholder engagement, ensuring its strategic fit, practical relevance, and high potential for transferability across different national contexts.
The practical implementation of the methodology is supported by a dedicated Digital Platform, which provides not only the possibility for VET providers to assess and enhance their courses, but also access to a wide range of supporting resources and materials. The platform operationalises the BESM by offering:
• user-friendly tools for skills mapping and course enrichment;
• access to a structured database of skills, learning outcomes, and training modules;
• interactive functionalities that support collaboration and knowledge exchange between stakeholders.
The pilot application of the methodology resulted in the development and delivery of 12 courses - 6 newly designed courses and 6 existing courses enriched with green and digital skills, all of which were certified and delivered across 6 countries.
Together, the BESM and the Digital Platform enable a more agile, systematic, and evidence-based approach to skills development, supporting VET providers, industry actors, and policy makers in aligning training provision with the evolving needs of sustainable and digital construction.

Replication of Good Practice

Training/skills

Organisation & Contact

Organisation:
Private Sector organization

Name of Organisation	Cleantech Bulgaria
Town/City	Sofia
Coordinator E-Mail	m.nakova@cleantech.bg
Coordinator Website	https://cleantech.bg/en/home/
Name of The Person Responsible	Maria Nakova