Linkedin
IFMA Joins Pact for Sustainable Facility Skills |
|
| Contributed by BSM Staff | |
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM -- Three leading stakeholders in the built environment have come together to launch a Pact for Skills for Sustainable Facilities in Europe. The Pact is designed to achieve the following: 2. Awareness of the role of building operations in achieving designs for performance. 3. Development of Pan-European resources to upskill professionals currently working in the building environment. IFMA EMEA, EU.BAC and REHVA have long championed the importance of upskilling the existing building workforce and effectively training the next generation of building professionals. This announcement ensures that as the European Union continues to develop energy and sustainability goals, training for building operations and maintenance continues to be a priority. As demand for built environment efficiency evolves, so too does the skill set required to operate and optimize facilities and the systems that support them. “Continuing education has always been important to building sector professionals; but even more so now amid rapidly advancing technologies, elevated focus on occupant well-being and a global urgency to reduce buildings' environmental impact,” said Lara Paemen, managing director of IFMA EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa). “Knowledge and skills requirements are expanding for all professionals who design, construct, manage and maintain the built environment. Ensuring the industries we represent have the training, resources and workforce necessary to meet increasing demands for sustainable operations takes a collaborative effort between organizations dedicated to achieving the same goals. The IFMA EMEA, EU.BAC and REHVA partnership enables a higher level of support to our professional communities.” President of EU.BAC Hans Smid said, "We are proud to be part of this important initiative. By joining forces with IFMA EMEA and REHVA, we aim to drive the continuous improvement of skills and knowledge in the building sector. Skilled professionals are essential – without them, all the efforts made by the legislation will be useless, as the measures will not be implemented at the national level. We look forward to working with the European Institutions to make sure that there will soon be new policies and funding schemes that will effectively address the shortages of skilled professionals and invest in professional education, attracting new skills to strengthen European competitiveness and growth.” REHVA is the Federation of European HVAC associations. Its president Cătălin Lungu said, “As one of the three pillars of the pact for skills, REHVA proudly joins IFMA EMEA and EU.BAC with the primary aim of bringing global attention for a better education and practical knowledge of our built environment professionals. We all, as nations or institutions, have environmental quality targets, outside but also inside buildings. “Few of them will be accomplished entirely without a highly skilled workforce. Efforts made will be less valuable and difficult to sustain unless part of the EU budget is allocated, in a socially fair manner, for training generating required skills for long-term sustainable growth, green and digital transition. REHVA, together with IFMA IMEA and EU.BAC, will endorse any EU or global initiative in this regard.” Learn about the European Commission’s Pact for Skills, one of the flagship actions of the European Skills Agenda, at pact-for-skills.ec.europa.eu/index_en. The Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning associations, founded in 1963, is an umbrella organization of 26 national professional societies representing over 120,000 HVAC designers, building services engineers, technicians, and experts. Visit rehva.eu. |
|
