Green Economy – the societal shift

Interactive scenarios addressing every stage of the value-added chain that leads from “grain to bread” will allow participants to examine sustainability-related challenges in various occupational profiles (miller, logistics specialist, baker etc.). “Learning nuggets” and basic information will be made available at individual exhibit points allocated to the different occupations. Participants will work under guidance in small groups to reflect upon ideas for the sustainable structuring of occupations and work in company practice. The standard occupational profile position of “Environmental protection and sustainability” will form a starting point for discussion and for illustrating how sustainability can be more effectively fostered as an integral component of training. VET pilot projects in the area of sustainable development and provision developed within the global learning space of international vocational education and training cooperation will deliver indicative findings, concepts and practical examples in this regard. The enormous potential that occupations have to shape sustainable development will become apparent, as will the responsibility vocational education and training will need to assume in order to encourage the necessary transformative competencies. The resilience of these considerations vis-à-vis external influencing factors will be put to the test by using game and event cards.

The results of the work will inform the second part of the Thinking Space, in which the main focus will be on current central discourses and approaches in respect of the promotion of competencies. Numerous concepts have been put forward to describe and develop transformative competencies, including the idea of “Future Literacy” proposed by the Federal Government’s Research Council on Global Environmental Changes, the OECDs “Learning Compass 2030” and the EUs “European Skills Agenda”. The associated challenges, opportunities and prospects for future-proof vocational education and training will be debated together with experts from the fields of academic research, policy and practice.