Professor Linda Clarke, co-Director of the Centre for the Study of the Built Environment (ProBE) at the University of Westminster was recently invited to contribute to a UK Parliament POSTnote, a short briefing note designed to inform Parliamentarians on scientific subjects, about environmental housing standards.
Published on 1 September, the POSTnote summarised the factors affecting the environmental performance of buildings, their existing governance framework and the potential opportunities for delivering wider social benefits through relevant standards. It drew upon research by Professor Clarke, Dr Melahat Sahin-Dikmen, Dr Fernando Duran-Palma and the late Dr Colin Gleeson from ProBE , and Professor Christopher Winch from Kings College London.
VET4LEC identifies problems that arise in providing vocational education and training (VET) required for low energy construction (LEC) and the opportunities existing to enhance the attractiveness and inclusiveness of the sector and advance energy literacy. It is funded by the European Commission and jointly run by the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) and the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW).
It focuses on the ways different European countries develop the knowledge, skills and competences needed for LEC within their varying VET, industrial relations, legislative and construction site contexts. As a result of the project, the researchers outlined criteria for a core curriculum in energy literacy compatible with the European Qualifications Framework, as well as guidelines on enhancing the inclusivity of the sector.
Transforming construction VET presents an opportunity for the European construction industry to rebrand itself as a 21st Century eco-industry, meeting the challenges of climate change and fuel poverty through truly low energy and zero carbon buildings and ensuring a safe, inclusive, less exclusively male, and good quality construction process, using environmentally-friendly materials.
POSTnotes are based on literature reviews and interviews with a range of stakeholders, and ProBE’s VET4LEC research was included in the report due to the unique work the team has conducted in this area, and its reputable nature across the sector.
Talking about the project and POSTnote, Professor Linda Clarke said: “The urgency of climate change is leading to a considerable focus on environmental housing standards. All too often though these are seen only in technical terms and forgotten are the skilled labour and the vocational education and training required to realise these. This is what our research in the Centre for the Study of the Production of the Built Environment (ProBE) addresses.”
Read the full POSTnote on the UK Parliament website.
Find out more about research projects conducted by ProBE.
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