Finding the common ground: Is there a place for sustainability education in VET?

Society is becoming increasingly aware of the need to sustain and repair the environment for future generations, and to incorporate environmental concerns when making social, political or economic decisions. Education is a key agent of change in this process and involves integrating knowledge and understanding about sustainability into practical, vocational skills. ‘Education for sustainability’ is now a widely accepted concept which seeks to promote and develop sustainability skills and awareness throughout a learner’s educational pathway.

• The vocational education and training (VET) sector has a key role to play in promoting sustainability education, both in policy and practice. The development of practical skills which promote sustainability in the workplace will be vital for employers of the future and for the wider community.
  
  
• Training packages are a practical means of integrating sustainability into vocational education and training. The current incorporation of generic or life skills into VET programs—rather than merely technical, occupation-specific skills—leads the way for a similar integration of long-term sustainability skills.
  
  
• VET practitioners already use teaching practices which are appropriate for sustainability skills. These include action learning, group learning and problem-solving. However, restrictive curriculum requirements limit the ability of training providers to incorporate sustainability concepts into their courses.
  
  
• If they are taught sustainability skills throughout their education, learners can develop the ability to promote these concepts in the workplace, devise and encourage sustainable work practices, and develop strategies for negotiating and justifying desirable changes with colleagues and managers.

This report seeks to answer the question of whether there is a place for the concept of ‘education for sustainability’ in vocational education and training (VET) policy and practice. It explores where and how ideas of environmental sustainability could be built into VET policy and practice, as well as the common links between sustainability and VET skill needs. Specifically, this report identifies ways in which sustainability education can assist the VET sector in addressing the challenges posed by globalisation in relation to the future nature of work and organisational capacity.

The term ‘sustainability’ does not have a set definition and can mean a range of things to a range of people. However, in general, the concept of sustainability proposes a balance between biophysical, economic, social and political systems in development (Fien 2001). It also seeks to ensure that society meets ‘the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987).

Underpinning the concept is a series of agreed principles which show what sustainability might mean in practice. These include:

• giving equal weight to environmental, social and economic factors in decision-making
  
  
• taking a precautionary approach and allowing for possible risk factors
  
  
• ensuring that environmental assets are valued, and taking into account their ‘costs’ when valuing goods and services
  
  
• ensuring that future generations have equal access to the resources we enjoy and the same or better quality of life
  
  
• ensuring the full participation of people in democratic decision-making
  
  
• understanding and recognising the global dimensions of our actions.

To achieve a sustainable future, society needs to undergo a significant shift in attitudes and behaviours. Education is regarded as the key to changing behaviour and, worldwide, education for sustainability has been identified as a means of achieving this change for future generations. On an international level, the push for sustainability education is led by the United Nations. In Australia, the VET system has a central role to play in the adoption and promotion of practices which encourage sustainability.

Despite a national and international push for sustainable development and education for sustainability, significant barriers exist to their implementation in vocational education and training.

This report examines the current VET environment in Australia to identify the challenges and problems that lie ahead and to develop possible solutions. A literature review and interviews have been used to determine national and international attitudes towards sustainability and current practice, with particular reference to the VET sector. The complete literature review has been provided as a support document to this report and can be found on the NCVER website http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1718.html. This report has also been reviewed by an independent panel of individuals in the fields of education and environment.

There are a number of international examples of how the concept of sustainability can be integrated into the education system. England, in particular, provides a stand-out case for a whole-of-government, unified approach to the issue. A series of actions required to achieve sustainable development has been incorporated into a ten-year strategy for the development of education for sustainability (Learning and Skills Council 2005).

The approach to sustainability in Australia is less coherent. Environmental education for a sustainable future: National action plan (Commonwealth of Australia 2000a) is an intergovernmental agreement for the inclusion of environmental education into the Australian system. However, implementation is also influenced by national VET policy, as well as Australian Government strategies for sustainability and strategies implemented by individual government departments. If Australia is to commit to this initiative, the policy divide must be overcome by these groups all working together in a unified approach.

The lack of understanding as to how education for sustainability can be incorporated into vocational education and training provides an additional obstacle to its implementation. While VET practitioners are already engaged in teaching styles which could facilitate sustainability education— action learning, problem-solving and group learning—some fundamental contradictions remain. In particular, restrictive curriculum requirements limit the likelihood of training providers accepting sustainability education as a valuable aspect of their courses.

Given the increase in environmental awareness and the importance of employability skills, the workplace of the future is likely to require more generic cognitive and behavioural skills, in addition to technical competency. The ability of the VET sector to accommodate this need will be limited by a number of significant barriers. These include a lack of shared national vision; a lack of adequate resources and trained personnel; and existing VET culture, delivery systems and training packages.

There is undoubtedly a place for education for sustainability in VET policy and practice. In fact, if vocational education and training is to remain relevant in the changing workplace and community in general, the integration of sustainability education in policy and practice should become mandatory. However, for the VET sector to take on this role, there will need to be:

• a new paradigm that recognises the need for broader, generic skills in training. It should also develop and take an active role in the integration and evaluation of sustainability skills within industry training packages
  
  
• public funding arrangements for vocational education and training that contribute to this integration in training packages, hence providing incentives to training providers to fund sustainability courses or subjects
  
  
• a more united approach by government to sustainability, by incorporating environmental policy across all government portfolios, rather than limiting it to single departments
  
  
• a re-examination of industry’s role in VET policy-making, to allow the inclusion of broader policy goals rather than the more narrow economic focus commonly held by industry.

Further, nine suggestions for further action have been made—drawn from previous research and incorporating ideas from this report—to develop a comprehensive list of actions which will encourage the adoption of sustainability education in vocational education and training. These are explored in the final chapter of this report and include:

• developing a national approach and vision to implementing education for sustainability in VET policy and programs
  
  
• encouraging a culture of sustainability awareness in the VET sector
  
  
• determining an appropriate VET pedagogy, or teaching and learning practice, which will promote sustainable development
  
  
• embedding sustainability principles in VET policy, practice and training packages
  
  
• identifying areas in particular need of sustainability training
  
  
• encouraging and facilitating the adoption of sustainability across the entire education sector
  
  
• pursuing a nationwide, united transition towards sustainable development
  
  
• adequately resourcing the VET sector to implement the required change
  
  
• establishing sustainability implementation and delivery groups within vocational education and training.