"Buildings are the major source of global demand for energy and materials that produce by-product greenhouse gases (GHG). Slowing and reversing the growth rate of GHG emissions is crucial to address climate change. One key way to reduce and, ultimately, phase out the greenhouse gases produced by the construction industry is transforming the way buildings are designed, built, and operated, as stated at the Europe 2020 Strategy. To reach climate 2020 goals within the construction industry the need to improve skills of all workers in relation to energy efficient and environmentally-friendly processes, materials and technologies is widely acknowledged. Vocational teachers hold a crucial role for the transfer of knowledge to current and future workers at the construction sector, as a great part of its labour force comes from VET pathways. For that reason, BuS.Trainers’ goal is to design and provide ‘green training’ to Vocational trainers to overcome skills mismatch and boost sustainability in the construction sector. Based on existing evidences, building up VET trainers’ skills in Energy Efficiency and Renewable energies is the required breakthrough to address the weak link between education and green innovation in the sector, because of the effect of this occupational profile in the whole training supply chain.With the main objective of jointly develop and deliver a thorough training system for Vocational Trainers to better perform teaching in sustainable construction, several interconnected activities have been implemented:*Research and analysis of green skills demands (labour market and EU policies) and related skills gaps in the occupational profile ‘VET trainers of construction industry’: Report on skills gap (WP2).*Design of a new qualification based on skills needs identified: “Eco-Trainer in the construction industry"" qualification (WP3), a trans-national and sectoral qualification for VET trainers in the construction industry, directed towards sustainable and efficient construction in South Europe.*Learning outcome-oriented modularity of the qualification, with 8 modules in a total of 200 learning hours, which allows partial or total accreditation, as well as accreditation through prior learning/experience by means of ECVET (WP3).*Definition of learning outcomes, assessment method and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) following the EQF methodology and underpinned with EQAVET principles (WP4).*Deveolpment of the Eco-trainers online course (WP5).*Development of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sustainability of the course and its accreditation system (WP6). *Addition of the Eco-trainers course into the Official Maltese Qualification system, thus becoming an official curricula (WP6).*Delivery of the training course for testing the product for a better adjustment to final users –trainers, with the enrolment of more than 170 trainers (WP7).*Involvement of stakeholders at local Info-days and endorsement seminars, paving the way for the uptake of project outcomes, generating interest, raising awareness and attracting attention of key actors, target groups and industry in general (WP8).*Dissemination actions to spread project results and share solutions, enabling a wider community to take advantage from EU funding (WP9).The project shows a positive impact on VET providers enhancing the quality and adequacy of their trainings/classes portfolio and their net of trainers, on vocational trainers that will upgrade their teaching skills according to market needs, on VET trainees and workers who will receive up-to-date knowledge in green skills, on companies who will have better skilled workforce and, finally, on the rest of industry and society who will benefit from the added value of cooperation in green curricula design and delivery to address climate change."

KATCH_e is a knowledge alliance between Higher Education (HE), companies and research centres to promote the building of competences in the field of product, product-service systems and business models design and development for the circular economy and sustainability, in the construction and furniture sectors.KATCH_e is contributing to the efforts, at national and EU levels, of fostering the transition from a take-make-use-dispose model that depletes natural resources and destroys ecosystems, to a circular model where the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible and the generation of waste is minimized.The project focuses on the development of innovative and multidisciplinary training materials targeting HE academic fields of Design, Engineering, Sustainability Sciences and Business Management. Complementary to the KATCH_e theoretical resources (eight modules and an online course), seven tools that support the academic approach but are also suited to the implementation by businesses have been developed.The implementation of the projects' results in academic and company contexts created several case studies that can be used as teaching elements and as inspiration by other companies engaged in circularity and sustainability.The objectives of KATCH_e are:• To develop training materials to encourage cross-curricular learning, connecting mainly with designers and engineers and other relevant stakeholders;• To develop a new educational focus through a cross-sectoral real problem-based learning approach, involving university students, professors, researchers, companies and other stakeholders to integrate circular economy and sustainability thinking in design education, defining as well didactic recommendations for teaching;• To encourage multidisciplinary relationships and to support the exchange of information, experiences and materials between the partners and stakeholders, through the creation of structures (a knowledge platform and a hub) and activities to engage stakeholders from different areas in a systematic and efficient;• To foster the entrepreneurial skills and motivations to students and simultaneously, providing companies and professionals of the target sectors the knowledge to analyse and to define new competitive market strategies in a more circular society, thus favouring the recruitment of future employees and the creation of new companies and business models;• To set the foundation for a strong and lasting knowledge alliance between HE and business: joint development of curricula, development of training materials and suitable tools, co-creation of innovative solutions, etc. for continuing the cooperation after the end of the project period.The KATCH_e consortium is led by LNEG, I.P., Portugal, and is composed of 11 partners from four EU countries: Portugal, Spain, Austria and Denmark. The project's duration was 36 monthes (January 2017-December 2019).