Since 2012, North Macedonia has actively participated in the European BUILD UP Skills initiative through four successive projects: BUILD UP Skills North Macedonia – Pillar 1, BUILD UP Skills North Macedonia – Pillar 2 (BEET), TRAINEE – Upskilling Energy-Efficient Construction in North Macedonia and Sustainable EnErgy Skills in Construction: Visible, Validated, Valuable (SEEtheSkills). Together, these projects have strengthened national capacities, developed training and qualification schemes, introduced innovative tools for upskilling and reskilling, and promoted energy-efficient and sustainable construction. Their successful implementation has been made possible through the collaboration of national partners from academia, public institutions, business associations and civil society, creating a strong national network for skills development in the construction sector. The Knowledge and Skills Management Centre (K&S Centre) was established through the TRAINEE project to ensure the long-term sustainability of the BUILD UP Skills initiative in North Macedonia, serving as the national hub for knowledge, training and skills development. Today, the K&S Centre maintains and further develops the knowledge, methodologies, digital tools and other key results generated through the BUILD UP Skills projects, ensuring their continued use and contribution to the country’s transition towards an energy-efficient and sustainable built environment. Building on this experience, members of the K&S Centre team currently represent North Macedonia in the European project BUSUnited (https://build-up.ec.europa.eu/en/skills/bus-united), contributing their expertise to the next generation of BUILD UP Skills activities and supporting European cooperation on skills for sustainable construction.
