South West College, in collaboration with a consortium of strategic partners, has successfully secured €9.8 million in PEACEPLUS funding to launch the Green Accelerator Skills Programme (GRASP). This initiative aims to address the critical Green Skills deficit in the cross-border Construction Sector.

Joining South West College in this endeavour are Atlantic Technical University, Cavan Monaghan Education and Training Board, Donegal Education and Training Board, Futurecast, ICBAN, Mayo Sligo Leitrim Education and Training Board, North West Regional College, and Southern Regional College.

Supported by the PEACEPLUS Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), GRASP will be headquartered at the South West College Technology and Skills Centre in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, with activities extending across the counties of Armagh, Cavan, Derry-Londonderry, Donegal, Fermanagh, Monaghan, Leitrim, Tyrone, and Sligo.

The programme partners have identified 50 Green Skills Programmes tailored to the specific needs of the Construction Sector, focusing on areas such as domestic retrofit, NZEB tradesperson training and site supervision, PassivHaus design, photovoltaic systems management, environmental auditing, and digital construction technology. Additionally, GRASP will feature two Green Skills Academies: Women into Construction and Labour Activation.

Celine McCartan, Principal and Chief Executive of South West College, expressed her enthusiasm for the funding announcement, highlighting the project's potential. “I am immensely pleased that we have secured another substantial funding package to support our region. This project is pivotal in equipping our construction and other key industries in rural Fermanagh and Tyrone with the skills needed to meet the challenges of achieving Net Zero. We are thrilled to collaborate with dedicated educational partners, both within Northern Ireland and cross-border. I would like to extend my gratitude to our college staff for their exceptional work in developing this initiative and to SEUPB for their support and investment in this vital project."

Over the next four years, GRASP aims to support 2,000 current and prospective construction employees through a variety of accredited Green Skills education and training programmes.

GRASP marks the third initiative led by South West College to receive PEACEPLUS funding in the past year. Alongside STRIDE, which focuses on ICT solutions in rural communities, and Youthscape, which promotes inclusion and progression for young people, these integrated efforts collectively represent over €20 million in support for inclusion, skills development, and innovation within the Fermanagh and Tyrone areas, as well as the wider region.