“To achieve climate-neutrality, there is a need for a skilled workforce that can contribute to sustainable practices,” declares the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC) in an analysis published on 23 October, affirming the decisive role that vocational education and training (VET) plays in the green transition.
This report – taken from conclusions drawn from a webinar held on 17 October 2023 that brought together experts and stakeholders from the education sector – is based on the premise of the ‘European Green Deal’: the path towards climate neutrality cannot be achieved without significant transformation in its economic sectors, including education.
This transition requires that a wide range of skills – both technical skills and cross-disciplinary skills – be developed. Areas such as energy efficiency, environmental awareness, and the installation of green technologies are becoming essential for future workers.
Despite its strategic role, VET is often perceived as less attractive than other educational paths, particularly when compared with traditional university degrees. As a result, the report includes a call to reassert the value of this sector, which plays an essential role in preparing workers for the changes to come and in meeting the growing demand for green skills in the labour market.
The DG EAC [also] mentions the role that the Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) play in supporting this transition – namely, bringing together various stakeholders in education and training. Currently established in regions such as Portugal, Finland, North Macedonia, and Austria, these centres facilitate sharing best practices and help ensure that training courses match local needs.
For example, the ‘GreenoVET’ project, which is funded by these centres, aims to promote green skills and improve graduates’ employability in a changing market.
It is also necessary to adapt VET programmes to the realities of the labour market while integrating training modules that focus on sustainability and green technologies.
According to the European Commission, integrating green skills into the core of VET programmes is thus a process that is essential not only to achieving the EU’s sustainability objectives but also to ensuring a fair transition to a greener economy.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/e2n (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)