The Digital Academy for the Sustainable Built Environment is providing blended education in critical areas needed to upskill the construction sector.  

Courses and micro-credentials available through the Digital Academy for the Sustainable Built Environment (DASBE) are focussed on three essential themes – Energy Efficiency, the Circular Economy, and Digital Construction Skills for Sustainable Building – DASBE aims to upskill construction professionals to meet the sector’s evolving demands.

DASBE is a five-year project (2020-2025) funded by the government’s Human Capital Initiative Pillar 3. It is a partnership between Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), along with enterprise partners the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) and Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA).

MEETING CRITICAL SKILLS SHORTAGES

Recently published figures by the Build Up Skills 2030 Initiative outline that the construction sector would require up to 120,000 additional skilled construction workers and building professionals, as well as the re-skilling of 164,000 people already working in the industry, by 2030, to meet Ireland’s housing and climate targets.

SUPPORTING ACCESSIBLE LEARNING PATHWAYS

DASBE is supporting programmes in ATU and TUS, ranging from Level 6 to Level 9, with funding of between 33% and 50% available. Most DASBE-funded programmes are delivered in a blended or fully online format, tailored to support working professionals in an ever-evolving industry. A unique aspect of some DASBE programmes is that they offer learners the opportunity to stack their qualifications. This is where a learner can complete a certificate and then progress to a diploma or a master’s at their own pace.

Seamus Hoyne, Dean of Flexible and Workplace Learning at the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), says: “Over the past three years, DASBE has launched more than 40 innovative academic programmes, each designed to address the evolving needs of the built environment sector in the topics of energy efficiency, digitisation and circular economy. Through extensive engagement with industry partners and the integration of technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, drones, and Building Information Modelling (BIM), we are equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing industry. The impact of DASBE has been substantial, but so too are the challenges ahead, as recent reports from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council confirm skills and labour shortages. Continued collaboration and innovation will be key to meeting the growing demand for skills in the built environment.”

EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES WITH MICRO-CREDENTIALS

Under the DASBE banner, additional funding has been announced for micro-credentials aimed at the construction sector. Micro-credentials are short, accredited courses that offer a flexible and accessible upskilling option. 80% of funding is available for eligible learners.

DASBE is funded by the Higher Education Authority’s HCI Pillar 3, a government programme designed to meet priority skills needs by increasing collaboration between higher education and enterprise with a focus on innovations in teaching and learning.

To learn more about courses and micro-credentials available through DASBE, visit

www.dasbe.ie

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