Unlocking the Potential for Sustainable Building Transitions
To bridge the gap in the housing retrofit workforce, an insightful workshop is set to take place at Sheffield Hallam University on January 18th, 2024. This unique event will bring together academics and policy practitioners from across Europe and the United Kingdom to share insights, strategies, and innovations in addressing the challenges of housing retrofit recruitment, skills development, and retraining.
Spotlight on Alice Corovessi
Among the distinguished speakers is Alice Corovessi, Managing Director of INZEB, who will address Session 1 – ‘Place, Policy, and Politics of Retrofit Skills Development & Delivery’. Her presentation will delve into the Build Up Skills and Renovate Europe agenda & progress, highlighting key innovations and identifying gaps from her unique perspective.
The workshop aims to foster collaboration and exchange experiences at different governance levels and geographies, offering a platform to discuss the implementation of place-based multi-actor partnerships for retrofit skills development. The focus spans from the European policy level, exploring enhancements to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), to local initiatives in exemplar European municipalities and innovative partnerships in the devolved nations of the UK.
Key Objectives:
- Exchange Experiences: Participants will share their experiences in developing and implementing place-based partnerships for retrofit skills development.
- Policy Recommendation: Inform the development of a policy recommendation to prioritise place-based retrofit skills development in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.
- Pathway Mapping: Map potential pathways for developing inclusive skills development and training programmes for the growing retrofit sector.
- International Research Agenda: Work towards developing an international research agenda to advance understanding of the retrofit skills challenge in Europe and the UK.
Anticipated Outputs:
- A co-authored chapter in an open-access book focusing on the transition to net-zero energy in Europe.
- A UK-focused workshop report disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
- Data to contribute to the co-development of an international research agenda.
- Establishment of an interdisciplinary network for future collaborations.