Multiplier event in Poland
On June 9th, 2022 in Warsaw, a multiplier event disseminating the results of the RenovUp project took place in Poland.
The overarching aim of the seminar was to present to a wider audience the achievements of the almost two-year-long cooperation of the ERASMUS+ project partnership.
During this Polish multiplier event, the following achievements of the RenovUp project were presented and discussed:
- The specificity of projects involving the renovation of buildings and its impact on the competences expected from site managers and foremen. Presentation of research results in Poland in comparison with other Partnership countries (IO1-A1, IO1-A2);
- Model of professionalisation of site managers and foremen based on work situations on construction sites (IO1-A3, IO2-A1); and
- Preliminary assumptions for the implementation (testing) of a model for professionalisation of site managers and foremen including an element of competence development of teachers/trainers (IO3, IO4).
The participants were representatives of the construction sector – both the economic sector (employers involved in repair and construction works) and vocational education sector (representatives of 4 vocational schools educating in construction professions). Moreover, the discussion was joined by representatives of industry associations (Konfederacja Budownictwa i Nieruchomości; Stowarzyszenie Specjalistów Robót Wykońowych; Izba Przemysłowo-Handlowa), research institutions (IBE), government administration (Ośrodek Rozwoju Edukacji) and other institutions involved in the development of competencies of the renovation and construction sector employees. Taking advantage of the presence of representatives of partner institutions from Hungary (National Federation of Hungarian Building Contractors ÉVOSZ) and Cyprus (Education and Information Technology Centre EDITC), we also invited them to the debate. In total, the seminar was attended by over 30 people. Representatives of the Polish National Agency of the Erasmus + Programme (FRSE) were also present.
The seminar participants were impressed by the ambitious goals of the RenovUp project. They agreed that work-based learning, in the broad sense of the term, is in Poland (and elsewhere) still just a buzzword, often not confirmed in the everyday reality of vocational education and training. Changing this state of affairs requires the continuation of comprehensive and complementary actions already initiated in our country, including: 1) overcoming the resistance of Polish teachers and trainers to improve their competences (especially directly on construction sites); 2) subsidising Polish vocational schools so that they can afford to purchase and use modern materials and tools in their school workshops; and 3) creating industry-based competence improvement centres, which provide a substantive, tool, methodological, material base for workers active in the labour market. The RenovUp project can be another step in the right direction!
In conclusion:
- The research carried out under IO1 was appreciated; and
- The proposed model for professionalisation of construction workers (especially the element of competence development of teachers/trainers through observation of work on construction sites) was considered very valuable and desirable, but difficult to implement in current Polish conditions.