ERI SEE Participates in BuildSkills Academy Masterclass in Berlin, 17-18 September, Berlin
Marina Papović, Project Coordinator at the Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE), participated in the BuildSkills Academy Masterclass 2 – “Building Change: Transformation Drivers for Construction and Training”, held on 17–18 September 2026 in Berlin, Germany, together with Ivana Čvorović Plavšić, Deputy Director of the Qualifications Agency of the Republic of Serbia. The Serbian participants attended the Masterclass with the support of the Centre for Circular Economy – CirEkon d.o.o., as the sending organisation from Serbia.
The two-day Masterclass brought together representatives of education and training institutions, industry, research organisations and other relevant stakeholders from across Europe to discuss how the transition towards sustainable and circular construction is changing skills needs and the education and training systems that support the construction sector. The programme addressed European climate, circular economy and building policies, sustainable materials and construction practices, digital tools and material passports, as well as the implications of these developments for vocational education and training.
The first day focused on emerging drivers for transformation in construction, including the EU policy framework for the building sector, the role of the circular economy, sustainable materials, digital material passports and lifecycle tracking, reuse of construction materials and components and the implications of these developments for skills and education. Participants also took part in workshops exploring how new construction practices can be translated into relevant skills and training requirements.
The second day focused on embedding sustainable construction practices into education and training, with particular attention to future-oriented vocational education and training, sustainability-related competences, innovative learning approaches and examples of good practice from different European countries. The programme concluded with thematic working groups addressing future skills and qualification systems, industry–education cooperation and opportunities for European collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Participation in the Masterclass provided an opportunity for ERI SEE to exchange experiences with European partners and follow current developments related to the integration of sustainability, circular economy principles and emerging skills requirements into vocational education, training and qualification systems.
The BuildSkills Academy activities are co-funded by the European Union; the Berlin Masterclass was organised with the involvement of Circular Berlin, with the German Energy Agency (dena) co-hosting the first day and Berlin Partner for Business and Technology co-hosting the second day.
