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EFBWW News

Skills and quality jobs in construction in the era of the EGD and post covid recovery

12/06/2023

Between 486,600 and 1,549,000 additional workers will be needed in the buildings construction and energy renovations sector between 2023 and 2030. Around 1,259,647 additional job posts will need to replace the ageing of the workforce in the same period. The Renovation Wave will also require between 100,250 and 112,056 OSH managers and between 268 and 5,357 labour inspectors. Investments in energy renovations under the Recovery and Resilience plans already have important employment effects in the construction sector and supply chains.

An important recommendation is that policies should take into consideration that real figures are higher than existing estimations. This has different implications:

  1.  unions should plan their awareness raising and advocacy campaigns taking into consideration the actual number of entrants in the industry;
  2.  training needs should take into consideration not only upskilling and reskilling, but also the entrants;
  3.  make sure that the 2023 Status Quo analysis to be conducted by the Building Up Skills programme be as accurate as possible in quantifying energy efficiency, circularity and training needs;
  4.  there are established institutions, which can cross-reference and support the above (e.g. ITEC, labour-oriented university departments, etc.);
  5.  campaign to the creation of local, inclusive, and decent work (no outsourcing).