Integrating Clean Technologies into Vocational Education and Training

(State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI, June 17, 2013)

To develop clean technologies, the relevant skills need to be integrated into existing professions. A study of 217 training plans, led by the Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (SFIVET), showed that vocational education and training already includes many clean technology skills. This is particularly the case in education relating to agriculture, chemistry, mechanical and civil engineering. Three quarters of training plans include waste sorting and recycling, as well as general themes like environmental guidelines and environmental protection. Environmental technology and energy efficiency also often feature. However, themes like “waste recovery”, “renewable energy”, “energy efficiency”, and “renewable materials” have significant potential. The areas offering perhaps the greatest potential are “electronics and automation” and “electricity and energy”.