On February 22nd, the project partners of the EU project ‘Construction Blueprint’ jointly organised the Erasmus+ Open Doors Day, in which experts from European educational institutions were invited to share their knowledge on the topics of youth and mobility and how to interest more women to the construction sector.
The event was performed in a hybrid format. The present audience consisting of Blueprint project partners in Brussels was joined online by education experts and audience members from twelve EU countries (Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Slovenia and Poland).
The following topics were discussed in three panels with 3 or 4 experts each:
Youth in Europe: Young people’s visions of society and work in construction
During this round table, we have had different experts from Spain, Slovenia, France and Italy, who have discussed about the relevance of acting for the employability of young people in the construction sector. The participants were:
- Belén Campillo, Madrid City Council – Agency of Employment.
- Sašo Turnšek, Construction School and Gymnasium in Maribor.
- Philippe Dresto, Compagnons du Devoir.
- Margherita Roiatti, Fondazione ADAPT.
Mobilities for VET students and staff: Opportunities, main participants and initiatives
During this round table, in which experts from Germany, Ireland and Belgium participated, we were able to learn about mobility programmes in Europe and the advantages of this experience. The participants were:
- Lars Scarpello, Talentbrücke.
- Dr. Avril Behan, SOLAS – College of the future.
- Laetitia Beckers, Constructiv.
Women in Construction: Current state, latest initiatives and the potential of digitalization
During this round table, we have tackled the gender problem that exists in the construction sector, in which we have addressed the problem of being a very masculinised sector. Experts from Ireland, Greece, Poland, Portugal and Lithuania gave us the key to end gender stereotypes:
- Elisabeth O´Brien, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands, Midwest.
- Dr. Antonis Panas, National Technical University of Athens.
- Grażyna Różanek, Sectoral Council for Competences in the Construction Industry.
- Joaquim Nogueira de Almeida, ANAKI.
- Rytis Kaminskas, National Passive House Association.
The present participants as well as the online listeners could also take part in the discussion and ask the experts questions after each expert panel.
Attracting and training skilled workers for the professions of construction remains one of the major challenges for the sector. The participants of the ERASMUS+ Open Day could gain a small insight into different national initiatives and get ideas on how to deal with this challenge in their own countries.