Sustainability in Vocational Education and Training: International cooperation and innovative solutions

Sustainable development is becoming increasingly important globally – including in initial and continuing Vocational Education and Training. Vocational Education and Training makes a key contribution in shaping the processes of social and economic change. There is a particular focus on digitalisation, new technologies, resource efficiency and climate protection. For many years, these topics have also been a feature of the international advice provided by GOVET.

Between 2022 and 2023, GOVET ran workshops on the theme of sustainability in vocational education and training with Costa Rica, Ghana and South Africa. Another key impetus was a study visit in 2022 for water management experts from five African countries as well as the "Sustainability Thinking Space" during the Congress of the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) in 2022.

VET Chain: Vocational education and training along supply chains

These initiatives led to the creation of the interactive VET Chain advisory tool – “Sustainability along supply chains in initial and continuing vocational education and training” – in the BIBB’s international department. The interactive tool was presented at didacta in Cologne on 22 February 2024 to a broad specialist audience. More than 130 national and international experts used the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the tool in 2024. International participants included representatives from GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation), the KfW promotional bank, the Belgian development agency Enabel, the EU Toolbox from Brussels, the bilateral cooperation with Costa Rica and from a sequa project from Egypt. German companies, vocational schools, culture ministries and BIBB also participated in workshops over the course of the year.

The events held as part of the VET Chain pursued three key objectives:

• Discuss sustainability in vocational education and training based on the example of an international supply chain.
• Examine the complexity of sustainable integration in initial and continuing VET and develop practical measures.
• Become familiar with an interactive advisory tool which multipliers can use in a range of contexts with different target groups.

International Exchange

It is very important when it comes to sustainability that we look beyond our own horizons: what challenges do other countries face? What solutions are they developing? The publication “Sustainability in Vocational Education and Training – National and International Experiences” was published at the end of 2024. The publication contains 25 articles by 43 authors from 11 countries and documents workshops, expert discussions and research work on the topic of sustainability in vocational education and training. The content ranges from strategic approaches to the implementation in institutions and practical examples. Particular emphasis is given to the global sustainability agenda in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and its contribution to overcoming the shared challenges involved in climate change. It is a platform for international discussion and covers the macro to micro levels of vocational education and training. The publication includes experiences from Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Germany.

Sustainability remains a key component of GOVET’s advisory work. The topic’s successful integration in vocational education and training continues to require international exchange and practice-oriented approaches.