New €9.8 million GRASP project launched to tackle Green Skills Shortage in cross-border construction sector

The Green Accelerator Skills Programme (GRASP) - a €9.8 million cross-border initiative designed to address the significant green skills deficit currently present in the cross-border construction sector – has been officially launched.

GRASP is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). The project brings together a diverse network of partners across nine counties, operating from CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology) Enniskillen. Lead Partner South West College (SWC) is working in collaboration with Southern Regional College (SRC), North West Regional College (NWRC), Irish Central Border Area Network (ICBAN), Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB), Donegal Education and Training Board (DETB), Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB), Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and Future Cast.

Key highlights of the GRASP project include:

• Offering approximately 50 funded Green Skills programmes aligned to the specific needs of the Construction Sector. These comprehensive training programmes include areas such as Domestic Retrofit, Passive House Design, Air Source Heat Pump Installation & Maintenance, Photovoltaic Systems Management and Digital Construction Technology.
• Engaging and supporting women interested in the sector, through the development of a Women into Construction Green Skills Academy, with a particular emphasis on upskilling & signposting to new & emerging roles.
• Introducing a Labour Activation Green Skills Academy which aims to meet the demand for labour in the construction industry by reducing some of the barriers to participation amongst key marginalised groups.
• Offering a Household Carbon Literacy Programme which will seek to raise home-owner awareness of how to use technology in a newly constructed or retrofitted houses efficiently to maximise performance while minimising CO₂ emissions and costs.
• Providing a Green Skills Schools Outreach Programme to enable the development of a sustainable talent pipeline to meet the evolving needs of the Construction Sector.

With PEACEPLUS funding of €9,804,982, GRASP will deliver training through online masterclasses and on-site practical workshops. In addition, a specially modified van equipped for heat pump installation and maintenance training will be procured and deployed for use by project partners and other stakeholder across the border region.

GRASP’s cross-border approach will result in a joint Green Skills Training Strategy with the potential to deliver high-quality, accredited training and certifications, leading to greater regulatory compliance, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. In turn, it will contribute to the achievement of ambitious net-zero CO₂ emission targets set for 2030 and 2050.