# GreenComp and vocational education - Savonia AMK

> The Green Skills Toolkit for Tourism and hospitality was a project that was managed by Savo Vocational College to help VET teachers integrate sustainability into their teaching.

## The Urgency of Planetary Health
The health of humans is based on planetary health—prosperous natural systems and the care of those systems. However, the structure and function of Earth's natural systems are changing, threatening human health. Planetary boundaries are being transgressed: climate change is worsening, species extinction rates are accelerating, new chemicals are polluting the environment, cycles of phosphorus and nitrogen have been altered, fresh water is scarce, and forests are being destroyed.

These issues stem from unsustainable resource consumption, technological development, and population growth. Humanity can be saved if we address inequality in wealth and health within the environmental limits of the Earth. It is critical to act before irreversible changes occur. Vocational education has a significant opportunity to contribute to this fight by fostering green skills, knowledge, and the right attitudes.

## Changing Behavior Through Education
We must be capable of shifting student behavior toward sustainable practices during their vocational education. This can be achieved through two methods: reflecting on conscious decisions and changing the environment by constraining choices. Vocational education can utilize both approaches, though a current challenge is the lack of uniform quality and competence in green skills teaching across different countries.

## The Green Skills Toolkit
To improve competence in green skills, sustainability must be integrated into vocational education. The *Green Skills Toolkit for Tourism and Hospitality* was produced by the GreenVetNet project to help vocational education and training (VET) teachers find ways to teach sustainability across Europe.

The toolkit is based on the European Sustainability Competence framework (**GreenComp**), published in 2022. It focuses on four key areas:

1.  **Embodying sustainability values:** Helping students see that humans are part of nature. Competences include valuing sustainability, supporting fairness, and promoting nature. Activities range from organic farm visits to discussions on environmental impact.
2.  **Embracing complexity in sustainability:** Developing systemic and critical thinking to understand interconnections between environmental challenges, the economy, and society. Activities include "Look at the world through someone else’s eyes" and "Problem framing with fast fashion."
3.  **Envisioning sustainable futures:** Visualizing alternative futures through imagination and creativity. Competences include future literacy, adaptability, and exploratory thinking. Activities include "Imagine there’s no waste" and discussions on Sustainable Development Goals.
4.  **Acting for sustainability:** Encouraging consistent, long-term action. Competences include political agency, collective action, and individual initiative. Activities include "Act for change in collaboration with others" and "Navigate the political system."

More ideas and exercises can be found at the [GreenVetNet Tourism and Hospitality page](https://sakky.fi/en/greenvetnet-network-green-skills-vocational-education-and-training/greenvetnet-tourism-and).

## The GreenVetNet Project
The *Green Skills Toolkit for Tourism and Hospitality* was produced as part of the New European Network for the Green Skills in Vocational Education and Training (GreenVetNet) Erasmus+ project, managed by Savo Vocational College. The project aimed to educate VET teachers in sustainable practices and included learning, teaching, and training activities (LTTAs) in:
*   Budapest, Hungary
*   Rome, Italy
*   Uddevalla, Sweden
*   Larissa, Greece
*   Savonlinna, Finland

In addition to Tourism and Hospitality, the project covered Business and Administration, Transport and Logistics, and Energy Saving Construction.

## Conclusion
Cooperation between European countries is essential to achieving high competence in sustainability. Vocational education should encourage students to reflect on their decisions while helping society constrain unsustainable choices by influencing the knowledge and values of the next generation.

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**Author:** Päivi Virtaharju, Expert in Sustainable Future, Master of Business Administration, Savonia University of Applied Sciences

## References
*   Bianchi, Guia, Pisiotis, Ulrike & Cabrera, Marcelino 2022. GreenComp The European sustainability competence framework. E-kirja. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
*   Richardson, Katherine, et al. 2023. Earth beyond six of nine planetary boundaries. Science Advances, 37 (9), 3-9.
*   Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon a. GreenVETnet – Network of Green Skills in Vocational Education and Training.
*   Savon koulutuskuntayhtymä julkaisuaika tuntematon b. GreenVETNet: Tourism and Hospitality.
*   Whitmee, Sarah, et al. 2015. Safeguarding human health in the Anthropocene epoch: report of The Rockefeller Foundation–Lancet Commission on planetary health. The Lancet 386, 1973-2028.