The Erasmus+ Women Can Build LatAm project took centre stage at the 15th BUILD UP Skills Exchange Meeting, held on 26–27 October in Brussels. This event brought together 75 participants from 22 EU-funded projects, including ‘Construye 2030‘ initiative (also coordinated by Fundación Laboral de la Construcción), all focused on strengthening the skills of construction professionals—particularly in the context of the European Year of Skills 2023.
The Women Can Build LatAm initiative was presented by Beatriz Oliete, Head of the International Projects Department at Fundación Laboral de la Construcción. She highlighted the need to foster a more inclusive and equitable construction industry by improving education and increasing women’s access to jobs in Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Chile.
During her speech, Oliete emphasized the importance of redesigning training curricula from a gender perspective and raising awareness among businesses about the value of integrating more women into the construction workforce. She also stressed the need to strengthen collaboration with vocational training centres, companies, and women’s organisations.
The event provided a platform for exchanging ideas on how European projects can help tackle industry challenges, from the energy transition to digitalisation. Women Can Build LatAm was recognised as a key example of how inclusive policies can transform the workforce and drive sustainable construction.