Reading time approximately 3 minutes—read, like, comment!

Original language: German

Image: Scandinavian Stockphotos/ SydaProductions

Protecting the environment and economic growth: an inherent contradiction? Environmental aspects have long since become an important factor when it comes to economic decisions. These elements also offer companies excellent opportunities to increase their competitive edge and innovative potential. “GET-UP” was a Strategic Partnership which focused on the trend of green economics. The project developed a Green Entrepreneurship Curriculum for vocational education and training as well as a training programme for the corresponding vocational educators.

These days, a successful economy must be more than just internationally competitive. It must also be environmentally conscious and make positive social contributions. The growing demand for green goods and services means new employment opportunities are arising. Accordingly, the demand for new qualifications, in particular for entrepreneurs, has also increased. Paderborn University, the project coordinator of the Erasmus+ project “GET-UP- Green Entrepreneurship Training – Underpinning Prosperity”, joined forces with institutions from seven different EU member states to develop curricular resources. These resources were created in particular to support educators in the field of vocational education and training who accompany young entrepreneurs on their journey to green entrepreneurship.

Using blended learning to become a green entrepreneur

The curriculum addresses the most important areas of business development potential for green entrepreneurs. The areas identified in the curriculum can be harnessed to support the implementation of business ideas in the Green Economy. Using a Train the Trainer programme, educators in the area of vocational education and training can receive continuing training to become active in this kind of educational provision. In the online continuing education modules combined with face-to-face sessions in courses, the educators are provided with qualifications in the field of Green Entrepreneurship. They also learn how to best utilise the developed curriculum resources and the online learning environment. Educators trained in this manner are experts on creating new businesses in the green sector. They provide training to learners, i.e. future founders of green enterprises, in the curriculum courses of the modular education provision GET-UP. These courses are also held in a blended learning environment. This means that the participants are optimally prepared for establishing businesses in the green sector with the help of presentations, educational videos, and learning tasks. All of the project results are available in six different languages.

Practical examples as inspiration

What kinds of green enterprises exist already? What were the main motivations behind starting a green company? What obstacles did these companies have to overcome in the beginning? To answer these as well as further questions, the consortium provided an online observatory which presents various green companies in Europe, detailing their challenges, goals, and motivation. The companies in the observatory provide insight into practical work and serve as role models so as to inspire those in vocational and continuing education to find their own ideas in the area of green entrepreneurship.

Discover the diverse sectors of the Green Economy

Companies for the observatory were selected to provide examples from a wide range of fields. These fields span from business to business (B2B) companies, such as the Finnish company Ecotelligent which specialises in constructing wooden communication towers, all the way to a snail farm in Ireland that produces certified organic compost. Be it in waste management, ecological architecture or sustainable fashion, green entrepreneurship has diverse applications.

The practical examples in the observatory are also used in the Train the Trainer courses and the GET-UP curriculum courses in order to give the participants insight into green companies that have already established themselves in the market.

Opening up vocational education and training and tapping into new markets

With the learning content and the results of the European project “GET-UP”, the project team aims to contribute to making vocational education and training in the field of green economics more accessible as well as to tap into new markets in this area in the future. One step towards increased sustainability has already been accomplished: The curricular system was included in the accreditation system for entrepreneurship of SFEDI—a state-recognised sectoral qualification organisation for enterprises and enterprise development in the UK. The courses are still being offered in the different partner countries, even after the project has ended. For example, they were accredited in the UK and have since become a staple element of the support provided for developing new enterprises.

GET-UP as an engine for transfer

The project itself is also a basis for farther-reaching developments, such as in the adult learning project “NGEnvironment” at Paderborn University, in which the educational provision is to be tailored to the needs of unskilled adults. The project expands the concepts of GET-UP and the basic premise of supporting green economic activity as well as the support schemes for founding NGOs in the green sector.