The energy transition in the built environment is one of the greatest social challenges of our time. Municipalities play a key role in this: they must translate national climate objectives into concrete, local implementation.
However, it has proven difficult in practice to attract sufficient well-trained personnel for this task. Especially novice civil servants, lateral entrants, and internal transfers in energy transition teams need specialist knowledge to make this complex task a success.
To meet this challenge, TU Delft - in a consortium of knowledge institutions, the Association of Dutch Municipalities, the Municipality of Delft, and Platform 31 - recently gained government approval for a project proposal under the National Growth Fund programme LLO Katalysator. The project provides innovative learning solutions for municipal employees to increase their knowledge of the themes that are important in the energy transition. In this way, they strengthen their implementation power and ability to effectively involve all relevant stakeholders, such as residents, grid operators, and housing associations.
-The energy transition is in constant evolution,- says Albert Vermue, Director of the Physical Living Environment at the Association of Dutch Municipalities. -That is why it is very important for municipal employees to continue to learn from science and from each other. With this collaboration, supported by the contribution of the LLO Catalysator, we can take great steps towards better-equipped local authorities.-
-For the energy transition, we will need new knowledge and skills long into the future. For a municipality, it is a huge opportunity to bring together research, education, and practice. I am therefore very pleased with the consortium that we have formed and look forward to the collaboration,- agrees Maaike Zwart, Alderman of the Municipality of Delft.
Longer term impact
1 million euros, including a subsidy awarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
Together with our partners, TU Delft is very much looking forward to helping address current competency gaps as well as creating a sustainable, inclusive learning ecosystem that will continue to evolve and where every stakeholder plays an active role, thus ensuring municipalities are well-equipped to lead the way in the energy transition long after the end of the project.
- Willem van Valkenburg, Executive Director of the TU Delft Extension School for Continuing Education
The consortium consists of TU Delft, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, the Municipality of Delft, and Platform 31. The municipalities of The Hague, Leiden, Alphen aan den Rijn, Goeree-Overflakkee and Leiderdorp, and the Economic Board Zuid-Holland support the initiative.
