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Thematic areas of challenges faced by VET
practitioners during green strategy
implementation

Stakeholder Sustainable
Engagement and Behaviour
Buy-In 15%
20%
Accurate
Accessible
Information
10%

Human and Education and
Financial Training
Resources Promotion and 5%
20%
Awareness
20%

Professional
Development
10%

The key challenges related to VET practitioner involvement in green strategy
integration are those faced in any organisation which carries out activities beyond
business as usual. The key education and training challenge is ensuring consistency
across courses and programmes. Many employees in this sector do not have the time
to individually adapt their training material and re-organise their courses since they are
already severely overworked, and many organisations are understaffed. Therefore, from
a governance perspective, ensuring necessary investment and allocating sufficient
time and resources outside of teaching activities is important.

VET centres should also provide adequate training for practitioners around
sustainability and environmental approach to programme delivery. This includes
supporting teachers to integrate the concepts into course material beyond the
mainstream information, not presenting the sustainable integration strategy as an
obligation but framing it in such a way to generate individual motivation and personal
action. Encouraging and supporting open-mindedness of their peers and their learners
can be challenging for VET practitioners depending on the context. Other challenging
aspects for VET practitioners are to understand that the green approach goes far
beyond the moment of learning and dealing and managing the lack of existing
knowledge of learners.

Challenges faced in stakeholder engagement and buy-in can be most challenging as
these are often mindsets forged over several years. Initial reluctance or scepticism from
learners is common can be overcome but factors such as lack of interest can be
difficult as no extent of awareness raising can break the barrier. It was acknowledged
by respondents that sometimes learners are simply not as willing or motivated to
contribute to the green strategy, which makes the implementation even more difficult
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect
those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA
can be held responsible for them.
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