PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
ASSERT addresses the 3 points on skills within the energy poverty recommendations (2023): 1) Ensure that policy makers at all level of administrations, as well as energy practitioners and advisors are trained on energy matters, including on topics related to energy poverty, taking into consideration the multidimensional aspects of energy poverty and context of clean energy transition, 2) Roll-out programmes to train front line workers in energy poverty and green energy solutions. Front-line workers addressed in those programmes should include health and social care workers or other professionals who can help identify households affected and provide them with advice and information on solutions to reduce energy consumption and access more affordable and innovative sources and 3) Offer targeted training courses for energy-poor households affected by energy poverty, including those with low digital skills. Such courses should enhance the energy and digital literacy awareness of households affected by energy poverty, enable them to better control their energy bills and participate actively in the clean and just energy transition. ASSERT will focus on persons with physical disabilities who have higher energy needs and lower income (more susceptible to energy poverty and its effects) as addressing their needs can interrupt the vicious circle of aggravating health conditions as a consequence of unhealthy household conditions due to energy poverty. As the key actors do not have the appropriate knowledge and capacities, ASSERT intends to provide them with the knowledge, competencies and skills to properly address the full spectrum of problems of energy poverty. ASSERT will deliver an integrated target-specific training / mentorship programme for policy makers at local level (municipalities), intermediaries, (representatives of civil society organisations) and energy poor disabled. Through personalised mentorship, ASSERT will adopt a bottom-up participatory mechanism to build the training / mentorship starting from a SWOT analysis of existing training and on target’s gap analysis. ASSERT will deliver direct support to: intermediaries to assist the people in need and support them in the take-up of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions to better meet their energy needs and municipalities to integrate in a harmonised multi-sectoral manner energy poverty within policy plans.