Cembureau EFBWW partnership:
Two years EU co-funding skills project
Cembureau, the European Cement Association, and EFBWW, the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers, started a common project on mapping skills’ needs in the cement sector for 2030-2050. The goal is to explore the future skill needs and vocational training and education in a rapidly changing environment. The launch of this two-year EU co-funded common project is very timely, particularly in the context of the European Year of Skills and the sector’s transformation to carbon neutrality. The project also allows Cembureau and EFBWW to further solidify and deepen a long-standing cooperation and jointly address the future challenges whilst developing common approaches and strategies for the green transition of the cement sector.
Regarding this cooperation, Cembureau CEO Koen Coppenholle comments: “Embracing decarbonisation is not only about adopting new technologies and processes, it is also about investing in our people. This collaboration between Cembureau and EFBWW marks a crucial step towards understanding and shaping the future skills landscape of the cement sector. By actively mapping out the skills needed for 2030-2050, we are ensuring that our workforce is not just prepared, but also empowered to drive and thrive in a carbon-neutral industry.”
EFBWW Secretary General Tom Deleu adds: “We live in a rapidly changing environment, and we cannot afford to waste the opportunity given by the European Green Deal, Renovation Wave and decarbonisation. However, there is one rule: leave no one behind. Workers are at the centre of these movements. In this context, skills and vocational training and education are vital. In this process, workers need to be trained to deal with this new reality and to be able to turn the challenges into opportunities.”
The first Steering Committee meeting of the project took place on October 06th, 2023, in Brussels.
