How can we increase sustainability in vocational education in the EU?

The health of humans is based on the planetary health in other words prosperous natural systems and caring of those. However, the structure and function of the natural systems of the Earth are changing which threaten human health. (Whitmee ym. 2015.) The planetary boundaries are transgressed. Climate change is getting worse. The rate of species extinctions is accelerating. New chemicals pollute the environment and the cycles of phosphorus and nitrogen have been altered. There is a lack of fresh water. And the forests are destroyed. Because of all this people suffer and the situation is getting worse. (Richardson ym. 2023.) The reasons for this are unsustainable resource consumption, technological development and the growth of population. The humanity can be saved if we address inequality in wealth and health of the environmental limits of the Earth. (Whitmee ym. 2015.)

It is important to act before irreversible changes on the Earth have happened (Whitmee ym. 2025). We must work more efficiently in order to fight against these problems nationally, in the EU and worldwide. Vocational education has a good chance to help with this. Large scale of knowledge, green skills and right attitudes are needed in this work.

We have to be capable of changing behaviour of students towards sustainable manners during their vocational education. Reducing the damages from harmful changes of environment is possible by changing human behaviour and there are two ways to change behaviour: reflection of conscious decisions and changing the environment by constraining choices (Whitmee ym. 2025). We can use both ways in vocational education. But the challenge is that the teaching of green skills is not of uniform quality between countries and the competence of green skills varies.

The possibilities in vocational education

One efficient way to increase competence in green skills and improve planetary health is to include sustainability in vocational education. The basis of large competence is that the understanding of sustainability is at the same level in vocational education in European countries. A Green Skills Toolkit for Tourism and Hospitality produced by GreenVetNet-project and was made for helping vocational education teachers (i.e. VET teachers) to find ways to teach sustainability all over Europe. A toolkit for VET teachers was produced in cooperation with Tourism and Hospitality teachers and specialists from several European countries. (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon a)

The Green Skills Toolkit is based on a European Sustainability Competence framework (GreenComp) published in 2022. It is a framework for every education level´s and everyone’s lifelong learning to improve their critical and systemic thinking (Bianchi ym 2022). The Green Skills Toolkit includes many ideas and exercises from four GreenComp`s areas 1) Embodying sustainability values 2) Embracing complexity in sustainability 3) Envisioning sustainable futures 4) Acting for sustainability (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

GreenComp as a help in planning sustainable education

Embodying sustainability values helps to see that humans are a part of nature. Equity and justice are the main point here. The competences are how you can value sustainability, support fairness and promote nature. (Bianchi ym 2022.) Examples of activities provided in the toolkit range from a visit to organic farms to discussions based on shocking videos of plastic in the sea or suffering animals (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

Embracing complexity in sustainability helps to develop systemic and critical thinking and understand interconnections and feedback in systems. The main point is to realize the connection between environmental challenges, economy, and society due to limited resources and boundaries. The competences are systems thinking, critical thinking and problem framing. (Bianchi ym 2022.) Examples of activities in the toolkit are such as Look at the world through someone else’s eyes or Problem framing with fast fashion (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

Envisioning sustainable futures gives tools to visualise alternative sustainable futures. The main idea is to think possibilities of future rather than certainties. Imagination, creativity and awareness of our feelings are needed. The competences are future literacy, adaptability and exploratory thinking. (Bianchi ym 2022.) Examples of activities in the toolkit are such as Imagine there’s no waste and Discussion of Sustainable Development Goals (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

The goal of Acting for sustainability is to encourage learners to act for sustainable future. The main point is that consistent and long term action is needed to achieve a sustainable planet. The competences are political agency, collective action and individual initiative. (Bianchi ym 2022.) Examples of activities in the toolkit are such as Act for change in collaboration with others and Navigate the political system (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

More ideas and exercises can be found here https://sakky.fi/en/greenvetnet-network-green-skills-vocational-education-and-training/greenvetnet-tourism-and (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b).

In conclusion

The Green Skills Toolkit for Tourism and hospitality was produced as a part of a New European Network for the Green Skills in Vocational Education and Training (GreenVetNet) Erasmus+ project managed by Savo Vocational College. A goal of GreenVetNet was to educate vocational education teachers in teaching sustainable practices within their education areas. The project included five learning, teaching and training activities (LTTAs) in Budapest (Hungary), Rome (Italy), Uddevalla (Sweden), Larissa (Greece) and Savonlinna (Finland). In addition to Tourism and hospitality, there were three other key areas of vocational education training included the project: Business and Administration, Transport and Logistics and Energy Saving Construction. (Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon a)

The cooperation in vocational education between European countries is necessary to achieve large competence in sustainability issues in the EU. Students should be encouraged to reflect on their own conscious decisions so that they understand the relationships between action and sustainability. On the other hand, the vocational education should help the society to constrain unsustainable choices to change the environment by influencing knowledge and values of students.

Kirjoittaja: Päivi Virtaharju, Kestävän tulevaisuuden asiantuntija ylempi ammattikorkeakoulututkinto, Savonia-ammattikorkeakoulu

Lähteet:

Bianchi, Guia, Pisiotis, Ulrike & Cabrera, Marcelino 2022. GreenComp The European sustainability competence framework. E-kirja. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/bc83061d-74ec-11ec-9136-01aa75ed71a1 Viitattu 4.1.2024

Richardson, Katherine, Steffen, Will, Lucht, Wolfgang, Bendtsen, Jørgen, Cornell, Sarah, Donges, Jonathan, Drüke, Markus, Fetzer, Ingo, Bala, Govindasamy, von Bloh, Werner, Feulner, Georg, Fiedler, Stephanie, Gerten, Dieter, Gleeson, Tom, Hofmann, Matthias, Huiskamp, Willem, Kummu, Matti, Mohan, Chinchu, Nogués-Bravo, David, Petri, Stefan, Porkka, Miina, Rahmstorf, Stefan, Schaphoff, Sibyll, Thonicke, Kirsten, Tobian, Arne, Virkki, Vili, Wang-Erlandsson, Lan, Weber, Lisa, Rockström, Johan 2023. Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries. Science Advances, 37 (9), 3-9. doi:10.1126/sciadv.adh2458. Viitattu 18.1.2024

Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon a. GreenVETnet – Network of Green Skills in Vocational Education and Training. https://sakky.fi/en/greenvetnet-network-green-skills-vocational-education-and-training. Viitattu 8.1.2024

Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b. GreenVETNet: Tourism and Hospitality. Verkkojulkaisu. https://sakky.fi/en/greenvetnet-network-green-skills-vocational-education-and-training/greenvetnet-tourism-and. Viitattu 12.1.2024

Whitmee, Sarah, Haines, Andy, Beyrer, Chris, Boltz, Frederick, Capon, Anthony, Ferreira de Souza Dias, Braulio, Ezeh, Alex, Frumkin, Howard, Gong, Peng, Head, Peter, Horton, Richard, Mace, Georgina, Marten, Robert, Myers, Samuel, Nishtar, Sania, Osofsky, Steven, Pattanayak, Subhrendu, Pongsiri, Montira, Romanelli, Cristina, Soucat, Agnes, Vega, Jeanette, Yach, Derek 2015. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health. The Lancet 386, 1973-2028. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60901-1. Viitattu 19.1.2024.