Print version Recommend this page Press release
41/ 2009
Bonn, 03.12.2009
BIBB President Kremer: "Vocational training is making a significant contribution to environmental and climate protection"
Opening of the touring exhibition "Renewable Perspectives"
Those entering the foyer of the Federal Institute for Vocational Training (BIBB) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU) at Robert Schuman Platz in Bonn between 3 and 9 December will be greeted by an array of unusual sounds such as chainsaw noises, the twittering of birds and hiking songs. The reason for all this is the touring exhibition "Renewable Perspectives - occupations in forestry and the timber industry", which will be opened today, Thursday, by BIBB President Manfred Kremer. BIBB is seeking to use the exhibition as a vehicle to demonstrate the issue of "sustainability in vocational training" by taking "forestry and the timber industry" as an example.
Manfred Kremer: "The exhibition provides impressive evidence that vocational education and training is making a significant contribution to environmental and climate protection and illustrates just how this can be achieved. It presents our domestic forestry and timber industry and depicts the relevant value-added chains and initial and continuing training occupations in an exciting and sensual manner." Kremer feels that the forestry and timber industry is an important branch of trade and industry which has the potential to provide a large number of future-oriented fields of work and employment opportunities of which young people are often unaware. "A modern system of initial and continuing training which is aligned towards protecting our environment and its resources enables us to demonstrate the personal career pathways which are available. This is an area where young people can take on societal responsibility, protect the environment and nature and research intelligent solutions to the problems we face."
The exhibition is mainly aimed at young adults who are deciding which vocational path to pursue. It presents a range of occupational activities and portrays the influence which these may be able to exert in terms of achieving sustainable and climate and eco-friendly development within the forestry and timber industry. Visitors are also greeted with numerous informative pictures and posters, sound collages and interactive elements such as the computer game "The forest of the future". This offers young people a chance to demonstrate their forestry skills by entering a virtual world.
The forestry and timber industry in Germany is a significant branch of trade and industry and includes around 160,000 companies securing approximately 1.2 million jobs. Demand for wood as a source of energy is on the rise, and timber products are considered to be sustainable. The forests of Germany also play an important role in environmental and climate protection. About one third of the country is woodland and stores around 222 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the causes of the harmful greenhouse effect.
The touring exhibition is part of the "Research for Sustainability" (FONA) Programme, which BIBB has been conducting since 2005 on behalf of and with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). It is open on weekdays from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm until 9 December and will subsequently be staged in a number of further cities. Any other institutions and establishments interested in presenting the exhibition are invited to contact BIBB.
