Environmental Skills and Net Zero Education

Solar engineer with a pony-tail and hard hat on looks at solar panels

The Environmental Skills and Net Zero Education collection presents summaries of research papers that explore how vocational training, educational institutions, and targeted programs can simultaneously address climate change challenges and ensure favourable outcomes for all. The papers collectively examine various approaches to building sustainability competencies, from technical environmental job training to transformative capabilities that empower individuals to become agents of environmental and social change.

For more, read the eePRO blog post: Environmental Skills: Moving Beyond Technical Training for True Sustainability

Isobel Talks

This article examines how the nation’s first Net Zero school could be used as an effective tool to teach about sustainability and energy efficiency. It summarizes research done by teacher candidates to investigate how a net-zero environment impacted teaching and learning

Teacher candidates research, teach, and learn in the nation’s first net zero school

This article describes how 16 teacher candidates from Western Kentucky University completed a study of the nation's first net-zero school—a facility that produces as much energy as it consumes through renewable energy sources—as part of their required coursework. The research examines how these future teachers engaged with the school's sustainable features through collaborative research projects and lesson planning.

Posted: 03/21/25

Isobel Talks

This article focuses on two case studies of vocational education and training (VET) programs. The authors found that successfully greening vocational education requires balancing stakeholder autonomy with coordinated support structures.

Integrating ecosocial policies through polycentric governance: A study of the green transformation of Danish vocational education and training

This 2024 study examines how Denmark successfully integrated environmental skills into its vocational education and training (VET) programs, offering valuable lessons for other countries seeking to prepare workers for the green economy while ensuring favourable outcomes for all.

Posted: 03/21/25

Isobel Talks

This article examines the complex role of environmental skills in enabling sustainability transitions, revealing that effective implementation requires going far beyond basic technical training. Through a comprehensive literature review, the article shows that successful Environmental Skills programs must combine technical-operational abilities with interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies, while being carefully tailored to local contexts and institutional frameworks.

Green skills for sustainability transitions

This article provides important insights into how educators can effectively implement Environmental Skills training for sustainability transitions. The concept of Environmental Skills has emerged as crucial for enabling workers and learners to reduce environmental impacts, but this research reveals that successful implementation requires a more nuanced and comprehensive approach than many current programs offer.

Posted: 03/21/25

Isobel Talks

This influential article by McGrath and Powell challenges the dominant "environmental skills" approach to vocational education and training (VET), arguing that simply training people for environmental jobs is insufficient for achieving true sustainability. Instead of focusing narrowly on economic growth and employability, they propose that VET must be fundamentally reimagined to support both human development and environmental sustainability.

Skills for sustainable development: Transforming vocational education and training beyond 2015

This 2016 article by McGrath and Powell critiques current approaches to "environmental skills" in vocational education and training (VET) across the world and argues for a more transformative vision that integrates both human development and environmental sustainability.

Posted: 03/21/25

Isobel Talks

The Institute for Career Development (ICD) implemented an environmental jobs training program for United Steelworkers Union members in four geographic regions. The study found that nationally recognized certifications improved job prospects, but many participants struggled due to lacking prerequisite math and test-taking skills. While environmental jobs training can help workers enter the green economy, the research concluded that fundamental literacy, math, and computer skills remain essential for successful training and employment in this sector.

Adult learning meets the green economy: Lessons from a green jobs education project

Adult education for green jobs is successful, but basic skills are a prerequisiteThe purpose of this study was to analyze the challenges and issues associated with implementing a model for green jobs education. The study reviewed a green jobs training program at the Institute for Career Development (ICD) that assists learners in entering the green economy. The ICD was created in 1989 as a negotiated benefit for eligible members of the United Steelworkers Union in order to provide educational services, especially portable skills.

Posted: 12/18/22

Isobel Talks

This study of the MillionTreeNYC Training Program examined the experiences of young adults (18-25) entering green-collar jobs in urban natural resource management. Through interviews with graduates and supervisors, researchers found that while technical training was valuable, "soft skills" like workplace behavior and professional demeanor were equally crucial for success, indicating that green-collar training programs should emphasize both technical and interpersonal competencies.

From job training to green jobs: A case study of a young adult employment program centered on environmental restoration in New York City, USA

Soft skills are just as important as technical skills in green-collar job trainingThe purpose of this study was to address green-collar job training programs that focus on the social and psychological experiences of young adults transitioning into full-time employment in the area of urban natural resource management. The study examined graduates of New York City’s MillionTreeNYC Training Program (MTTP) who had previously been disconnected from the workforce, were 18-25 years old, and held a high school diploma or GED.

Posted: 12/18/22