Developing sustainability in vocational education and training
BIBB pilot projects
Vocational education and training is key to sustainable development. BIBB has a long-lasting tradition of promoting VETSD-pilot projects in order to embed sustainability in vocational education and training.

Sustainable development requires a paradigm shift in trade and industry and within the world of work. There is a clear need for a change in attitudes and for organisational competencies and employability skills that are geared towards sustainability. Since 2004, several pilot projects have been instigated with the aim of developing possible solutions for this purpose.
Pilot projects are an instrument for the development and testing of new, innovative methods by way of example, which could contribute to improving the quality of vocational education and training and could provide tools for supporting its modernisation. Pilot projects are supported by the BIBB in the field of extracurricular vocational education and training (practical pilot projects) on commission by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as per Article 90 Section 3 No. 1d BBiG (German Vocational Training Act). Practical pilot projects pursue the objective of transferring innovations and insights to the fields of practical application, research and politics.
The main focus of funding for the pilot projects on sustainability in VET accords particular significance to the structural establishment within the VET system of the concepts to be developed. The intention is that the pilot projects should support the guiding principles behind the World Action Programme “From the Project to the Structure”. Particular importance is being attached to ensure that transfer stakeholders and process and power promoters contribute towards putting sustainable development on a firm footing in vocational education and training.
Pilot projects
Funding Line I (2015-2019)
Development of training and qualification concepts for sustainability in commercial occupations
In six pilot projects of funding line I, domain-specific sustainability-oriented concepts for competence development in commercial professions, i.e. i.e. retail, wholesale and foreign trade, logistics services, were developed.
Funding Line II (2015-2019)
Establishment of a sustainable learning venue in vocational education and training institutions
A sustainable learning venue supports the development of sustainability-related skills among employees. To promote this, six projects for the creation and development of a sustainable venue of learning in dual vocational training at training companies, inter-company vocational training centers, vocational schools, and other educational institutions of dual vocational training were funded.
Funding Line III (2018-2021)
Development of domain-specific sustainability competencies in food sector occupations in the craft trades and in industry
The processes of producing, processing and consuming food have a substantial influence on the sustainable development of our society. Thus, six pilot projects for sustainable competence development in the food sector (food-craft and food-industry) are funded.
BBNE Transfer (2020-2022)
Vocational training for sustainable development in transfer for training personnel 2020-2022"
This funding programme aims to bring selected proven results and products of the previous BBNE pilot projects (2015-2019) from project to structure" and thereby generate practical as well as scientific knowledge and insights about innovation transfer.
Materials
As result of the various pilot projects, a range of materials has been made available to support education and training practice: Besides general recommendations on education and training design this includes teaching and learning materials as well as tools for specific occupations. Some of the results are also available in English.
Learning Modul 1 "Sustainable Development"
Notes for Trainers/Teachers
Notes for Trainees/Students
Sustainability in the transport and logistics sector
Introduction and summary
Carbon and water footprint
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Combined transport!?
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Simulation "Combined Transport" For trainers/teachers
Simulation "Combined Transport" Copy templates
Sustainable (customer requirements)
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
EU disclosure requirements
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Dealing with contradictions
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Systemic visualisation, Method Cards
Energy saving and energy efficiency
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Thinking about resources
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Design Thinking, Method Cards
Modul "Corporate Social Responsibility" (CSR)
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Digitalisation leads to more sustainable business practices?
For trainers/teachers
For trainees/students
Design Thinking, Method Cards
Competency Model for VETSD in the Food Crafts and Food Industry
The competency model for vocational education and training for sustainable development (VETSD) in the food crafts and food industry is one of the main results of the work of the scientific supervision of the pilot projects of the third funding line “Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development 2015–2019”. It defines sustainability-relevant core competencies and associated competency goals and thus could serve as a basis for the didactic conception and design of teaching/learning processes and curricular development. Nov. 2022
Strotmann, Christina / Kastrup, Julia / Casper, Marc / Kuhlmeier, Werner / Nölle-Krug, Marie / Kähler, Anna-Franziska
Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Markets - How Ethical Organisations and Consumers Shape Markets
In: Simões C., Stancu A., Grigore G. (eds) Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and Markets. Palgrave Studies in Governance, Leadership and Responsibility. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham., 2021, S. 142-162.
Reinhardt, Kai / Schwarzkopf, Julia / Ermer, Carolin
From project to structure - findings from BIBB pilot projects on VETSD for anchoring sustainability
There is increasing recognition that sustainability requires a solid structural basis in vocational training and is not limited to individual projects. However, one question that remains largely unclear is how sustainability can be specifically integrated into in-company training. The pilot projects "Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development" (VETSD) of the BIBB provide suggestions in this regard. The article looks back at the pilot projects of the past 20 years and identifies five dimensions that offer starting points for the structural integration of sustainable development into vocational training.
Barbara Hemkes, BIBB / Christian Melzig, BIBB
UNESCO-UNEVOC Virtual conference - New qualifications and competencies - Pilot-project Pro-Deenla
This presentation gives an overview of the pilot-project Pro-Deenla. The presentation was made by Verónica Fernández (BIBB) and Harald Hantke (Leuphana University Lüneburg).