Sustainable development
Sustainable development is the greatest challenge of our time.
Green TVET – understood here in the sense of TVET for sustainable development – is an essential strategic tool for the sustainable transformation of the economy and society.
But what exactly is green TVET? What are its principles? How can it be implemented and what examples can be drawn on? What are green vocational competences? What are green jobs?
If you are interested in these or similar questions and would like support, please feel free to contact me.
Sustainability is at the heart of future-proof modern vocational training.
Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mertineit
Senior expert for green vocational training with many years of experience in the national and international context
Professional Vita
| 1984: | Completion of studies in science of education with particular emphasis on Adult Education and Extracurricular Youth Education at the University of Hanover |
| 1984 to 1993: | Research Associate at University of Hannover |
| 1990 to 2002: | Visiting Lecturer at Institute for Vocational Education and Training at University of Hannover |
| 1994 to 2012: | Project Manager at Institute for Environmental Protection in Vocational Education and Training in Hannover |
| 1997: | PhD in Vocational Education and Training at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of University of Hannover |
| 2007 to 2012: | Visiting Lecturer at Institute for Vocational and Economic Education at Leuphana University Luneburg |
| 2009 to 2023: | Managing Director of the Institute for Sustainable TVET & Management Services GmbH in Hannover |
| Since 06/2023: | Freelance work as Senior Expert for Green TVET |
Main areas of work
- Integration of green requirements into the TVET system of partner countries in development cooperation;
- Greening TVET institutions, incl. training of teaching and management staff and process support;
- Development of teaching/learning aids as well as
- Lectures, (online) trainings, workshops, and expert study tours on the subject green economy - green jobs - green skills - green TVET.
Clients
Customers include ministries and public authorities, research institutions, organisations of commerce & industry, companies and TVET institutions as well as funding organisations and organizations in the field of international cooperation and development.
Selection from the client list:
- Academy of the Saxony State Foundation for Nature and the Environment, Tharandt
- Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila
- B.A.U.M. e.V., Hamburg
- City of Wilhelmshaven
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, sites Eschborn, Mannheim, Magdeburg, Chisinau, Hanoi and Pretoria
- Federal Agency for Family and Civic Affairs, Cologne
- Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU), Osnabruck
- Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), Bonn
- Foundation Labour and Environment of the Industrial Union Mining, Chemicals and Energy, Hannover
- KfW Development Bank, Frankfurt
- Leuphana University Luneburg, Institute for Vocational and Economic Education, Luneburg
- Lower Saxony Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, Hannover
- Lower Saxony School Authority, site Osnabruck
- Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg
- Protestant Academy Loccum, Rehburg-Loccum
- Provadis Partner für Bildung und Beratung GmbH, Frankfurt/Main
- TVET Academy of GIZ, Bonn
- Vocational College 2 Leer
- Vocational College 3 of the Region of Hannover, Hannover
- Vocational College 14 of the Region of Hannover, Hannover
- Vocational College Friedenstrasse, Wilhelmshaven
- Vocational College Metal processing – Electrical engineering of the Region of Hannover, Hannover
- UNESCO-UNEVOC (UNESCO’s International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training), Bonn
Countries of operations
Europe
- Germany
- Republic of Moldova
- Switzerland
Africa
- Algeria
- Botswana
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- South Afrika
- Tanzania
Asia
- Jordan
- Myanmar
- Palestinian Territories
- Vietnam
Latin America
- Columbia
- Peru
Green TVET
The importance and the self-image of green TVET can be clarified in the form of the following theses.
Sustainable development belongs at the centre of sustainable modern TVET.
Sustainable development is the greatest challenge of our time, and thus sustainability is also at the centre of sustainable modern TVET. Sustainability stands for the vision of an environmentally compatible and socially just future-oriented social development, to which TVET must also make its specific contribution.
Sustainable development is challenging.
Sustainability is "not a topic like any other". Sustainability challenges us to reflect on existing ways of thinking and routines of action to see whether they are fundamentally viable and fit for the future for everyone in a globalised world. Sustainability requires a new perspective in all areas of society and thus also in business and technical and vocational education and training.
In the world of work green skills concern everyone.
Green skills are also playing an increasingly important role in working life. This does not only concern specialists or employees in special green sectors, but workers in all economic sectors. They should be enabled to responsibly shape their working and living environment in terms of sustainability within the given (company) scope for action and decision-making by knowing and considering the ecological, social, and economic effects of occupational action. The competence for sustainable occupational action is an integral part of vocational competence.
Sustainable development challenges vocational education and training.
TVET is also challenged to fundamentally review its self-image and its role in society and to realign itself. Only then can it become a key to the sustainable transformation of the economy and society.
Sustainable TVET is more than skills development.
The promotion of cross-occupational and occupation-specific green competences (incl. ability and willingness to actively participate in the sustainable design of the working environment) within the framework of an action- and research-oriented didactics represents the core of green TVET.
In order to be credible and to enable learners to experience self-efficacy, the learning venues of TVET (companies, TVET institutions, inter-company TVET centres, etc.) are also required to orient themselves towards the guiding ideas of sustainable development and to align themselves sustainably within the framework of a whole-institution approach.
Finally, it is also about the sustainable orientation of the TVET system itself. This includes the strategic orientation of TVET towards the sustainable development goals, the integration of TVET into national sustainability and climate protection strategies and concepts, the systematic integration of relevant occupational green competences into job profiles, curricula, examination requirements, the creation of didactic materials and the sustainable design of learning venues, as well as the corresponding training of management, teaching and in-company training and examination staff.
Green TVET is part of a social modernisation strategy.
Green TVET follows an emancipative understanding of TVET. It takes the major global challenges seriously and tries to contribute to overcoming them. It is therefore not in contrast to "conventional" TVET, but rather an expression of a new perspective in TVET with the aim of promoting green vocational competences with which the working and living environment can be shaped in the sense of sustainability. The focus is on the ecological, social, and economic effects of occupational action. Accordingly, green TVET is much more than a passing trend that can be followed with a few temporary projects. On the contrary, the socio-ecological transformation of TVET is an ongoing task of great importance.