Technological University Dublin, Future Analytics, Dublin, and the Construction Industry Training Board, Co Antrim, are among seven partners on the Belfast Metropolitan College led online digital transformation project for the construction sector, which is being utilised by Croatia's vocational schools after they switched to online learning due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The schools had very little notice to make the switch to online learning and the Croatian Agency for Vocational Education and Training appealed for help in securing additional specific online training. The BIMcert digital construction learning platform will be offered to vocational students free of charge for a limited time.

Coming to aid of fellow European school students

Toni Borkovic, a chartered architect based at the BIMcert project partner EIHP in Zagreb, Croatia, said he was delighted with the initiative being shown by the seven European partners in coming to the aid of their fellow European school students.

“The BIMcert project consortium are answering the call of for digital training materials by granting free access to training materials and the online learning platform during the COVID-19 outbreak to all vocational schools students and teachers," he said.

“The BIMcert project is providing a training and qualification scheme for the skills required to support the implementation of BIM across the construction supply chain.

"Training materials are developed to the EQF level 4 (RQF Level 3) and specifically target energy efficiency in the built environment through uptake of BIM and digital construction in 35 modules organised in six training plans."

It is accessible on the BIMcert website and here.

This pan-European action being taken by the Belfast Met led project has the full support of BIMcert programme manager Paul McCormack, who is also the Belfast Met innovation manager.

Benefit European construction industry

“We want our training offering to benefit the European construction industry but we are also conscious of delivering real societal benefit to countries at this time of need," he said.  

"Due to the ongoing global crisis we are all dealing with currently we are all now looking at the way we live and indeed the way we work. The importance of having online blended learning available has never been so important. Digitalisation is  a game changing strategy that can empower us all.

“Facilitating BIM upskilling can be recognised as an instrument contributing to the European Green Deal by ensuring that the construction work life cycle and costing analysis have a sustainable growth agenda for the future, along with digital technologies.”

Further information

BIMcert is a European-wide project funded by the European Union’s Horizion 2020 research and innovation programme, aimed at providing a training and qualification scheme for the skills required to support the implementaion of BIM across the construction supply chain.

There are seven partners on the BIMCert project including Belfast Metropolitan College; Future Analytics, DublinTechnological University Dublin; Construction Industry Training Board, Co Antrim; IST/CERIS, Lisbon; IECE, Macedonia; and EIHP, Croatia.