Sustainability in training – why actually?

It would be a mistake for companies to assume that sustainability has lost strategic importance. On the contrary: the transformation towards a more sustainable economy is continuing, sustainability requirements are increasing and vocational training has long been part of this development. Since 2021, “environmental protection and sustainability” have been part of the standard job description positions for all newly organized training occupations as well as for all existing training occupations). Trainees should learn to take into account the impact of their professional actions on the environment, economy and society and to incorporate sustainable solutions into their everyday work.

The crucial question for in-company training is therefore how companies can convey the topic in a meaningful and profitable way. If implemented correctly, the social integration of trainees can be strengthened and their ecological and economic awareness can be deepened. This promotes cohesion within the company and innovative ideas within the company.

The topic hits a nerve with young people

The more successful the recruitment of young talent, the better the approach matches the expectations of young people. At the top of the wish list for almost all young people is a good working atmosphere, good pay after training and exciting tasks during training, as a current youth survey shows. But the issue of company sustainability is also important for more than two out of three young people when choosing a specific training position. The Competence Center for Securing Skilled Workers (KOFA) also points out that sustainability is increasingly becoming a factor in employer attractiveness. Applicants are increasingly interested in how companies use resources, what social responsibility they assume and whether sustainability is actually practiced. Sustainability can therefore be a decisive factor in the competition for young talent.

It is by no means just about climate protection: sustainability includes ecological aspects such as energy efficiency, waste avoidance and resource conservation. There are also economic issues such as competitiveness, innovative strength or future orientation as well as social aspects such as health protection, fair working conditions or equal opportunities. In this context, the Q network, a joint project of the German Economic Institute (IW), the business educational institutions and other educational institutions, reports that the social dimension of sustainability plays an important role in modern training and successful recruitment of young talent.

More than a mandatory task

Even though the topic of sustainability is now mandatory in all training occupations, most companies implement this out of conviction or responsibility. Because they can benefit economically and strengthen the working atmosphere. In this sense, sustainability is not a mandatory task, but rather offers opportunities for training and companies. Companies are faced with a variety of transformation processes – from the economical use of resources to new legal requirements to changing expectations of customers, employees and business partners. If trainees internalize sustainability as an integral part of their professional competence, they can provide the company with valuable impulses and initiate innovative changes during and especially after their training.

Where companies can start

Sustainability does not have to be organized as an additional project alongside the actual training routine. It is often already present in many everyday work processes and operational procedures. In commercial professions, trainees can, for example, analyze supply chains, identify savings potential or get to know sustainable procurement processes. In technical professions, fields of application such as energy efficiency, material use or circular economy are available. In crafts, sustainable materials or resource-saving processes can come into focus.

However, it becomes even more exciting when trainees not only learn, but are allowed to create things themselves. That’s why many companies rely on trainee projects. The tasks range from analyzing energy consumption and ideas for avoiding waste to developing sustainable mobility concepts or suggestions for improving operational processes. What is important is less the size of the project than the opportunity to contribute and implement your own ideas. Trainees make decisions and experience directly the impact their actions can have. This not only increases learning success, but often also motivation. Trainers are valuable learning companions.

Trainees as ideas generators

This is precisely an often underestimated advantage of sustainability-related training projects. With their comparatively fresh perspective, trainees question operational routines and discover potential for improvement that is easily overlooked in everyday life. Sometimes they are even the only ones who ask why certain processes still work the same way they did ten years ago. This is exactly where new ideas for the company often arise. Projects like the nationwide SDG Scouts show that trainees can make concrete contributions to the sustainable development of companies. Various chambers also support such activities with additional qualifications for trainees, for example through programs such as the IHK’s Energy Scouts.

Whether saving resources, making processes more efficient or suggesting improvements for sustainable business – many projects deliver results that go beyond the actual learning purpose. Companies benefit from this in several ways: They gain fresh perspectives on existing challenges, strengthen the personal responsibility of their trainees and promote important key skills such as problem-solving skills, teamwork and project management.

An investment in the skilled workers of tomorrow

Of course, no trainee project alone will solve the major challenges of our time. What is more important is to show young people that their ideas are in demand and can make a difference. Anyone who experiences that their own idea saves resources or improves processes not only learns something about sustainability, but also that commitment can make a difference. And it is precisely this “self-efficacy” that is probably one of the most important skills that training can impart today.