Evolving from “Aligning VET Curricula to Greening and the Sustainable Development Goals”

to “Green Labs for VET“

Get Involved

Aims and Objectives

Erasmus+ Project: 2018-1-MT01-KA202-038471 – GreenVET4SDG

This project addresses Greening TVET, which describes the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes that foster a culture of sustainable practices in the community, the workplace, and the institutional setting. Aligning VET Curricula to Greening and the Sustainable Development Goals aims to raise awareness in students and teachers from vocational or academic backgrounds concerning the concept and economics of Greening TVET and societies. This is achieved via an accredited training module that can be included in any VET curricula, or studied as an independent programme.

Aligning VET Curricula to Greening and the Sustainable Development Goals is an EU Erasmus+ project (Key Action 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices) that includes implementation guidelines for aligning TVET curricula to Greening and the Sustainable Development Goals. Project outputs are created and implemented by the international partners as a team and hence reflect their specific national scenarios.

Start date: 09/2018 End date: 12/2021

Target Groups: TVET learners, TVET teachers, Communities

Participating Countries: Malta, North Macedonia, Greece, Spain

Erasmus+ Project: 2023-1-MT01-KA220-VET-000156845 – GreenLabs4VET

Following the successful completion of the GreenVET4SDG project, the project partners developed the idea of going beyond the original project. The Erasmus+ project GreenLabs4VET is part of a wider initiative within Erasmus+ focused on sustainability in vocational education and training (VET). Officially launched in September 2023, this project is designed to integrate green practices and awareness into VET systems across Europe. GreenLabs4VET aims to build environmental competencies in students and teachers, addressing sustainable practices through hands-on learning environments known as “Green Labs.” These labs serve as dedicated spaces for learning and practicing environmentally conscious skills and technologies, aligning with EU sustainable development goals.Key aspects of the project include promoting awareness of ecological impacts and enhancing the skills of VET learners and staff in sustainable fields. Projects like GreenLabs4VET receive support from the Erasmus+ Key Action 2, which encourages cross-institutional collaboration to bring green innovation and practical ecological training into vocational curriculums.

Start date: 09/2023 End date: 08/2026

Target Groups: TVET learners, TVET teachers, Communities

Participating Countries: Malta, North Macedonia, Greece, Spain

Challenges Addressed by this Initiative

Greening Awareness

Raising awareness of Greening issues across all TVET disciplines and linking them to SDG priorities,

Dissemination of Knowledge

Dissemination of knowledge, and delivering accredited training related to Greening to meet the intended goals.

Greening across Curricula

Design, development, and deployment of an accredited module that can be included in any TVET course curriculum or taught independently,

Up-Skilling of Educators

Provision of up-skilling for TVET teachers in relation to Greeningand environmental issues,

Outreach

Provision of outreach and relevant information for TVET learners and their local communities in Greening.

Added Value

Why is this Initiative a Success?

Aligning VET Curricula to Greening and the Sustainable Development Goals initiative addresses an identified need at the national level for TVET curricula that focus on Greening in TVET training courses, and inclusion of information concerning the Sustainable Development Goals. Other elements contributing to the success of the initiative include the focus on the effectiveness of the teaching process and up-skilling of teachers to prepare them to address these key issues.

What is the added value of this example?

The training module provides answers as to why Greening is important, what can be done to support Greening, and how Greening can be accomplished. It introduces the economics of Greening as well as aspects about renewable energy, resources and the environment.

Because this initiative is a collaboration by four European countries, the outputs are collectively implemented, and the end results reflect the specific needs of each country. This level of contextualization indicates that a core learning module in Greening can be developed and then adapted with minimal effort for specific environments.

Impact on Curricula

What implications does this example have for current or future curricula?

The project has a direct impact on TVET curricula through the development of an accredited training module that can be included in any TVET training course with minimal contextualization. This includes teacher training and preparation for the delivery of the training module.

How does this example impact TVET systems?

This example has impact at the institutional and systemic level due to MCAST’s accreditation of curricula. There are international level implications for this initiative as a successful example of multi-stakeholder cooperation to address TVET issues and produce locally contextualized outputs in a recognized area of high importance such as Greening.

How does this example respond to industry and social demands?

For industry, this initiative is important because employees who are aware of Greening and sustainability issues, and who are socially conscious, can be a driver for increased efficiency and productivity, leading to higher competitiveness. This responds to societal demands for raising the awareness of issues relating to Greening and promoting a sustainable society for future generations, within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Transferability

Which components of this practice may have practical value to other UNEVOC Centres/TVET institutions?

The unit is designed in such a way that it is universally applicable to European and Maltese Qualification Frameworks for Level 4 learners, regardless of their course of study or if they are vocational or academic learners. In order to achieve this, the unit design was oriented to teach about the fundamental principles of Greening, before proceeding to engage the learners via practical case studies. By design, the outputs are intended for replication and contextualized use for other TVET stakeholders

What challenges do you see if transferred to another context?

Some adaptation is required for other country contexts, but the initiative provides examples of how this was achieved in four European countries, and these learning materials will be made available for free use at the end of 2021 in English, Greek, and Spanish.

Project Outputs

Learner Training Module

An accredited training module for learners called Greening for a Sustainable Environment at European Qualifications Framework (EQF) Level 4

LEARN MORE

Teacher Training Module

A Teachers’ Training Module to increase the effectiveness of the teaching process for Output 1

LEARN MORE

Teachers’ Toolkit

A toolkit aimed at aiding educators during the teaching process

LEARN MORE

Greening in TVET Website & App

The design and development of a Website and App for assisting the dissemination of the project outputs, resources together with syndication of greening news, projects and events

Logo

The design of a logo that both reflects the core aspects of the outputs and also unifies them under a common representation.

Greening The Campus Guidebook

A “Greening the Campus” initiative across the partner institutions with the goal of creating an informative guidebook on the subject for other TVET stakeholders

LEARN MORE