South West College has hosted the GRASP Building Net Zero: High-Performance Buildings – Green Skills, Partnerships + Progress Symposium, bringing together representatives from education and industry to examine the future of sustainable construction and workforce development.
The event focused on the growing demand for green skills across construction and retrofit, and the importance of collaboration between industry and education in preparing the workforce to deliver Net Zero ambitions across Northern Ireland and the Border Regions of Ireland.
The symposium forms part of the Green Accelerator Skills Programme (GRASP), a €9.8 million PEACEPLUS-funded cross-border initiative led by South West College. GRASP is designed to address the green skills gap through accredited training in areas including sustainable construction, retrofit, Modern Methods of Construction, NZEB standards, Passivhaus, renewable energy and digital construction.
The programme aims to support more than 2,000 participants and deliver 50 accredited Green Skills programmes, with training developed alongside industry to respond directly to emerging workforce needs.
GRASP is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Gary Kelly, Founder and Director of Kelly Studio Architects and a lecturer at South West College on the Passive House Designer course, said:
“The move towards high-performance, low-energy buildings is accelerating, and that creates a clear need for people across the construction sector who understand how these principles can be applied effectively in practice.
“Programmes such as GRASP are important because they connect education directly with the needs of industry. Through courses including the Passive House Designer programme, we can equip people with the technical knowledge and confidence to deliver better-performing buildings and contribute to the transition towards Net Zero.”
Dr Barry McCarron, Managing Director of KORE Retrofit, said:
“For businesses such as KORE Retrofit, having access to a skilled workforce is fundamental to our ability to grow and respond to the scale of retrofit activity ahead.
“The range of courses being developed through GRASP goes directly to the heart of that challenge, helping to develop skilled operatives and technical professionals with the knowledge industry needs. With new retrofit and sustainability initiatives emerging across Northern Ireland and the Border Regions of Ireland, these programmes will be vital in helping businesses scale up and build the capacity to deliver on both sides of the border.”
Siobhan Ferguson, Programme Development and Delivery Manager for GRASP at South West College, said:
“This symposium was about bringing industry, education and key stakeholders together around a shared challenge: ensuring we have the skills and workforce required to deliver a more sustainable built environment.
“Through GRASP, we are developing accredited training and strengthening cross-border collaboration, while working directly with industry to ensure our programmes respond to genuine skills needs.”
The symposium included expert presentations on Passive House new-build design, EnerPHit retrofit, sustainable construction and embodied carbon, alongside a panel discussion on future workforce requirements, Net Zero targets, curriculum innovation, digital technologies and green career opportunities.
South West College is the lead partner in the nine-organisation GRASP partnership, which brings together education, training, industry and regional partners across Northern Ireland and the Border Regions of Ireland.