CONTEXTThe reduction of de CO2 emissions and the use of renewable energy resources are today the main challenges for authorities in the developed countries. The lack of serious awareness and the limited knowledge about it in our society makes that the users of our buildings (who consume approximately 90% of the energy) do not participate actively in achieving this goal, essential to avoid serious problems on the planet.Until a few years ago, the saving of energy and resources during the life cycle of the products were barely studied and most of the initiatives on estimation of the carbon footprint were focused on the energy efficiency factor during the useful life, but not in other important factors, such as the emissions of CO2, the consumption of resources or the facility to dismantle, recycle and reuse of the construction materials, all very important aspects when faced with a broad and comprehensive perspective the problem of pollution and its impact on the planet. It is not enough just to train our architects in this aspect, but also that people who face the construction of a new building, or simply the reform or rehabilitation of an old one, are aware of the impact that each detail of that work will have on their own quality of life, on the consuming of energy and on the planet, through the carbon footprint that construction itself and its use and possible future pull down will entail.In addition, to what was indicated in the previous section, the goals of Europe 2020 establish the importance of motivating students to study science and prepare them to face the challenges that an ecological Europe implies, where new jobs will be created in the Green Economy sector (as identified in Skills for Green Jobs - CEDEFOP 2010). In this way, society needs future scientists with the necessary skills and knowledge to create healthy and sustainable cities.MAIN OBJECTIVEThe EcoBuild Project focuses on young students between 12 and 16 years old and provides them with the necessary awareness and knowledge about these new concepts, such as the carbon footprint, the recyclability of construction materials and all materials in general, the consumption of water or the acidification of the land. This goal will be achieved through the development and implementation of an EDUCATIONAL SERIOUS GAME and an ONLINE RESOURCE CENTRE (ORC) in the secondary schools, as well as through the development of a series of awareness and learning activities that are intended to be carried out throughout the project, in which students will play to be ecological builders and at the same time researchers in matters of ecology and environment.Through the EcoBuild Game, students can make their own virtual constructions, which using real parameters will give the estimated impact in terms of carbon footprint based on the use of the different materials and construction techniques for building. The most common materials and techniques being used currently in European countries will be included in the game, incorporating the most important parameters in terms of environmental impact, not only relating to the energy consumption of the resulting building, but also due to the extraction of the materials, their future recycling, its duration, capacity for reuse, etc. It does not pretend to be a tool to train them to becomearchitects, but to make them be aware of the importance of reducing the impact on the environment by selecting the right construction materials and techniques.RESULTSThe main results expected during the project on its completion will be the following:- An Online Resource Centre will be designed and produced to support the implementation of all the training materials produced about educational ecology in construction.- The Serious Games EcoBuild. The interface aspect will model oneself on the famous videogame SIMS (where young are familiar with this type of videogame), but with an very important difference at educational level in the construction aspect and tools of this videogame, where a student, as he/she builds a building and chooses the different materials, is aware of the pollution and the environmental impact they generate through easily understood visual comparisons that generate impact on the student.IMPACTRegarding the impact of the project, although initially the project aims to achieve a direct impact on students who are in secondary education, through them, this impact will be also transferred to society in general. They will work as transmitters to society of this knowledge and awareness raising. In addition, many of the actions to be developed will also involve, and then impact, authorities at different levels, NGOs, neighbourhood associations and others.

This project was aimed primarily at Continuous Vocational Education and Training (C-VET), contributing to facilitate the acquisition of the basic level of competences in safety in stone placing and, at the same time, promoting on the workers of stone sector to change their behaviour regarding the following of the safety regulations. It is particular important for immigrants and refugees, which are currently the biggest number of employees in this sector in the EU developed countries. For them is particularly important to count with a multimedia material that facilitate the learning when the language skills are low . But the results are also extremely useful for students in Initial Vocational Education and Training, where the general behaviour is still against a wide use of the safety equipment and procedures, what finally results in a high level of labour accidents and professional illnesses. For achieving the allocated aim, consortium produced a Multimedia Resource Centre (MRC), to make available a multimedia and easy-to-use material to train stone placing workers. This MRC includes 10 animations developed in 3D, related to the main safety risk of the sector, and include not only the information on how to perform the different tasks with safety and using the safety equipment, but also shows those wrong methods used by the workers in the sector and somehow try to ridicule this mentality and show the risks this behaviour brings. For the purpose of developing the MRC with the proper content, consortium carried on an initial field research. The field research was carried out in all involved countries and it has a double purpose. Firstly consortium tried to highlight which were the main risks in the stone placing activities, both in terms of frequency and in terms of importance. Based on the results, consortium have produced a table with the most relevant risks and then structured them in 10 groups. The second purpose of the research is to highlight which are the most common wrong procedures used in the stone placing companies. This was made by holding discussions with responsible staff for security in the companies. These results have been used to represent those most common risk situations produced due to wrong working procedures. The field research was completed with a compilation of the normative related to security and healthy risks in the natural stone placing in the different countries, as well as the EU normative for those particular works where the normative is common in European Union. Both researchers were carried out. Before carrying out the research consortium considered important to structure the stone placing works in groups, in order to easier making possible their study. The structured works were the bases for the performance of the research and the production of the report. These works then were gathered in 5 groups and each partner coordinate the research for a particular group of risks. Once both researches were carried out, the reports produced with the results were discussed in a general consortium meeting. Then, consortium started the production of the content for the animations. Before starting the production of the scripts consortium have carry out a distributions of the risks among the different stone placing works to be represented. Frequently, we can find the same risk in different type of works. i.e. the need of using the harness and life-line is common to all works in high. Then, partner CTM was in charge of developing a table with a proposal for those risks that would be included in any type of work, which was widely discussed in the second meeting in Italy and approved after some changes. Based on the previous researches, partners develop first the storyboard and storyline and then the animations, based in the following schedule: -Definition of the characters. They must represent and promote the principals of European Commissions in terms of gender equality and intercultural relations: a female representing a young women from centre Africa, a male coming from North Africa or Middle East country, a male coming from an Eastern European country and a German woman, which would be the forewomen of the company-Definition of the backgrounds to use, in order to get the required homogeneity: a big building and a cemetery, in order to represent the tombs and other stone works related to grave art, which is an important sector in North and Central Europe.-Develop a basic script by partners. -Improvement of script by an expert in communication, in order to improve its communication capacity and to be more attractive for the user. -Develop the storyline and storyline by IT expert, being continuously revised by consortium partners. -Production of the 3D animations including sound. Also continuously revised by partners. -Testing of the animations in different countries and implementing proposed changes. -Production of the Web Platform.

The main objective of the project is fostering the modernization and development of the stone sector in Western Balkans partner countries and strengthening the relationship between the higher education and the industry. For this purpose different specific objectives have been allocated to the project:• To benchmark existing training initiatives & incorporate elements into project training outputs• To support technological & practice-based innovative training based on courses approach and format.• To encourage participation of industry stakeholders in outputs conception and testing phases• To test new HE possibilities of Tertiary VET levels in partner countries• To contribute to National/regional innovation strategies for specialization in the natural stone sector with project outputs• To create a Stone Sector network platform involving stakeholders in programme & partner countries.The project aims at Higher Education, and this is the reason why most partners are HEIs, but it includes also a VET tertiary level and a stone technologic centre, Marble, Natural Stone and Materials Technology Centre (CTM), Several associated partners will be involved in the project, mainly city halls and SMSE’s. Main products of the project are training content for university courses, a training programmes for VET tertiary level, an Online Resource Centre and multimedia handbooks. The project will last for three years and involve partner from Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo and Montenegro, as partner countries. From programme countries, partners from Spain, Italy, Romania and Greece.

CONTEXT/BACKGROUNDNanotechnology, in recent years, is dramatically revolutionizing the industrial development of new materials. The continuous advances in the field of nanotechnology, its rapid implementation throughout the industrial fabric and the high number of nanomaterials used in different industrial sectors, are coming up against a limited level of knowledge about the health and safety risks that nanomaterials generate for workers and the environment.Now, the great revolution of nanotechnology, after great progress in other sectors, is reaching the construction sector, generating great changes in the traditional methodology of manufacturing construction materials. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider the risk assessment and the effectiveness of preventive measures usually applied in workplaces with exposure to nano agents, together with the effects they have on health.The existence of an emerging risk has meant that the application of actions related to nanotechnology from an integrated, safe and responsible approach has become a central element of European Union policy.Adequate risk assessment of nanotechnologies has become a growing demand, affecting all organisations involved in the development and manufacture of nanomaterials. Professionals in the sector, during the manufacture, transport or handling of products derived from nanomaterials, may be exposed, by the involuntary release of nanoparticles in industrial processes. A retraining of professionals in the stone sector is necessary, which contemplates the special measures to be taken in each process, for each type of nanomaterial with specific associated risks.On the other hand, the stone sector is taking a step forward in its commitment to the environment. Not only in terms of minimizing the environmental conditions generated, but also by integrating the general feeling of society in aspects related to conservation and respect for the environment.The determination of the environmental risk related to the improper handling of materials on a nano scale and the training in safe handling methodologies is essential to meet the European objective of applying nanotechnology as a safe and responsible tool.OBJECTIVESIn this context, , the general objective of NanoSafe project is to develop an innovative training tool, through the development of multimedia materials based on a guide to best practices of manufacturing and handling for nanomaterials, aimed at training and qualifying professionals in the stone sector from an integrated approach to worker health and environmental safety.PARTICIPANTSThis project will contribute to provide stone workers with a better understanding of Health, Safety and environmental issues at workplace and contribute to their knowledge and use of related preventive measures and working procedures and facilitate their personal development and employability in a European level. Also, this project will also support the initial and further training of teachers, trainers, tutors and directors of VET institutions, providing them with a valuable tool for making courses on occupational risk prevention and green workplaces which are continuously applied to successfully achieve their training objectives.The main target groups and end users will be the following:- Stone and constructions companies and workers.- VET organisations.- Universities and technology centres- Labour risks organisations- Public bodiesPRODUCTSThe main results of the project are: O1. Guideline of risks, health and environmental prevention measures in safe production and use of nanomaterials in Stone Sector.O2. Production of 3D Training Tool for application of nanomaterials in Stone Sector.O3. OER for training and raising awareness.RESULTSThe tangible results of this project will be:- Provide stone workers with a better understanding of risk and safety at workplace and contribute to their knowledge and use of related preventive measures and working procedures in the use of application of nanomaterials in stone products.- Promoting an ecological approach to working methods using nanomaterials in stone industries.- Production of training materials in order to support to initial and continuous training of VET teachers, trainers, tutors and institution managers.