This year, the InnoRenew CoE joined the European Commission in contributing to the European Year of Skills. The European Commission chose 2023 as the European Year of Skills because they recognised the need for more skilled individuals.

The data shows that 77% of EU companies report difficulties finding workers with the skills they need. By promoting a mindset of retraining and upskilling, the European Commission aims to help people acquire the right skills. Employees who have the skills needed in the labour market contribute to sustainable growth, and thus to greater innovation and competitiveness of companies. The European Year of Skills 2023 was thus an opportunity to address the skills shortage.

At the research institute InnoRenew CoE they are committed to actively sharing its knowledge:

“Since the very beginning we have been aware of the importance of sharing our knowledge and the latest developments with others, and this year we have reinforced these efforts with several activities in support of the European Year of Skills,” said Dr. Andreja Kutnar, InnoRenew CoE director.

Among all the activities it is certainly worth highlighting the establishment of the New European Bauhaus Academy (NEBA HUB) at the University of Primorska and based at InnoRenew CoE. The establishment of the New European Bauhaus Academy was announced by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in November 2022. The aim is to push for new skills and education across all levels of the construction sector. The creation of the different European Academies is driven by the objectives to fill skills gaps in the EU and to promote an EU skills strategy that will help to upskill and reskill people, with a focus on digital and green technology skills. The NEBA HUB Academy was launched this year with the aim of creating an international alliance of educational institutions and training providers, linking different centres across Europe. These centres will offer tailored and high-quality training services, curricula and programmes on sustainable building solutions through a digital platform.

In cooperation with the University of Primorska, they also organised workshops and consultations to develop micro-credentials in line with the New European Bauhaus, which helps individuals to acquire knowledge, skills and competences they need in the evolving labour market and society.

In addition, InnoRenew CoE has organised trainings and workshops for companies, in the frameworks of the KOCles project. They offered lectures of international experts to researchers and other colleagues about successful preparation of European Research Council (ERC) or Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) project applications. Furthermore, they organised trainings for teachers about implementing an interdisciplinary approach to working with gifted students, bringing together science, technology and the arts. This year, they continued with workshops in primary schools, presenting to students different uses of wood and its key properties. Finally, they hosted elementary school, high school and university students at the institute’s building to present InnoRenew CoE’s main activities, research projects and perhaps inspire them to choose this career path.

In the coming year, the InnoRenew CoE will continue to work fruitfully with other stakeholders at national and international level to co-create the knowledge and skills needed for the development of society and for a successful green and digital transition.