Collaboration program launched to accelerate the energy transition

Source: Rijksoverheid.nl

People Make the Transition. That is the name of a learning and innovation program that is starting. The program is intended to accelerate the sustainability of existing homes. Better chain cooperation, smarter production processes and further training of employees will soon make it easier to tackle entire neighborhoods at once. People Make the Transition is an initiative of, among others, Techniek Nederland, Bouwend Nederland, Netbeheer Nederland, the MBO Council, Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, 4TU and FNV. The Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations supports the program.

Learning together from practice

According to the Climate Agreement, 1.5 million homes must be made more sustainable by 2030. People Make the Transition will bring together knowledge about making existing neighborhoods more sustainable and make it accessible. The experiences from the natural gas-free pilot districts and major renovation projects form the basis for this. Education includes the new knowledge about sustainability in training courses. In this way, the learning and innovation program contributes to a feasible and affordable energy transition for everyone in our country.

For and by executive parties

The program focuses on the people and companies that make existing homes more sustainable, such as construction companies, housing associations, installers, maintenance companies and grid operators. People Make the Transition makes connections between these parties, encourages them to share successes, puts practical bottlenecks on the agenda and offers solutions. Together, companies learn how sustainability can take place in a streamlined process.

Train more technical professionals

There is already a great need for technical professionals and that growth will continue. The desired pace cannot be achieved with the current number of technicians. People Make the Transition therefore also focuses on the influx of sufficient technical professionals with green skills. The participating parties will endeavor to retrain as many people as possible. In addition, further training is required for current employees in construction and technology. The further training programs pay attention to new techniques and new ways of working.

Collaboration between professional practice and education

The energy transition requires close collaboration between professional practice and education. The education sector is therefore closely involved in People Make the Transition. The MBO Council, the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences and the four technical universities of the Netherlands (4TU) will give the new insights into the energy transition a prominent place in their educational programs. Graduated technicians are therefore ready to contribute to making the Netherlands more sustainable.

Heat pumps and electricity connections

People Make the Transition provides practical knowledge that helps to make homes and buildings more sustainable. An installation engineer and an engineer from the grid operator are currently required to strengthen the electricity connection required to connect a heat pump. By adjusting the training of installers, among other things, one installation engineer will soon carry out the work. That saves time and manpower.

Declaration of Intent

Twenty-five parties, including Techniek Nederland, Netbeheer Nederland, Bouwend Nederland, MBO Raad, Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, 4TU and FNV, agreed in 2019 to collaborate