Skills for Sustainability

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Skills for Sustainability

• Professor Stephen Martin
• Centre for Complexity Change, The Open
  University University of Worcester,

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Setting the Context

• HEFCE will signal to the university sector that
  ESD requires development. This will feature in
  the grant settlement process.
• (2003)

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Context

• To maintain a more competitive economywe will
  needto make sustainability literacy a core
  competency for professional graduates.
• (2005)

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Context
Sustainable development meeting the needs of
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs is a
defining challenge of the twenty first century.
If the nation is to play its full part in
challenging global poverty and combating
environmental problems like climate change it is
imperative that everyone in this country develops
the skills of sustainable living and working.
That means placing sustainable development at the
heart of skills provision, ensuring that it is a
fundamental goal of our economic and social
progress. (Leitch Implementation Plan, 2007)
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Sustainability Literate Leaders? Discuss
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Fit of Porritt pique..

• I find all this so depressing that I now hate
  having to comment on itFor five years the
  Governments performance has been rubbish,
  systematic hypocrisy, lecturing everybody else
  but barely lifting a finger itself just doesnt
  make any sense.

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But what is sustainability literacy?How is it
defined?How can it be developed in the
university curriculum?
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Sustainability Literacy Skills, Knowledge
Attributes

• Environmental, social economic context of each
  discipline
• Key principles of sustainable development
• Non-reductionist problem-solving skills
• Creative holistic thinking
• Personal professional self-reflection
• Understand adopt ethical values
• Initiate sustain transformative actions
• Participate in interdisciplinary teams
• Initiate manage change

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Towards Sustainability Literacy
Interdisciplinary and holistic embedded in the
whole curriculum, not as a separate subject
      Values-driven sharing the values and
principles underpinning sustainable development
      Critical thinking and problem solving
leading to confidence in addressing the
challenges of sustainable development      
Multi-method word, art, drama, debate,
experience, different pedagogies which model
the processes       Participatory
decision-making learners participate in
decisions on how they are to learn      
Locally relevant addressing local as well as
global issues, and using the language(s) which
learners most commonly use.
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Sustainability Skills Matrix for Built Environment
www.constructionskills.net/pdf/aboutus/sustainable
development/skillsmatrix.pdf
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(No Transcript)
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Skills for Sustainabilityand Employability
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Student Skills for Who and for What?
Leitch Egan SSCs
HEFCE LSC DIUS
Govt DEFRA P and P

• Students in Universities/ College

Students for Society (Lifestyle)
Students for Employers (Workstyle)
Sustainably responsible services/ products
Sustainably responsible students
Sustainable low carbon communities
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Some key questions

• Do universities/colleges, students, employers and
  society have the same interests in
  sustainability?
• Same, Different, Converging, Diverging?
• What is the role of HE and FE education in terms
  of sustainability and employability?
• Follow, Lead, Transform?

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What Learning for Sustainability?

• Many contexts - Social, intellectual, cultural,
  technological, manual, managerial, political
• Many levels - personal peer - family
  community- corporate national - global
• Competencies able to know, do, think and
  believe
• With a particular focus eg
• Stewardship Interrelationship -
  Entrepreneurship
• Citizenship Partnership Fellowship

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Competent Employee?
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What skills for Sustainability?

• Employability Skills for
• Communication
• Team work
• Problem-solving
• Initiative and creativity
• Self-management
• Planning and organising
• Learning
• Technology

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What Values for Sustainability?

• Togetherness - unity, teamwork, cooperation
• Oneness holistic, part of not apart from nature
• Healthiness concern for wellbeing of people and
  nature, balanced lifestyle, Healthy planet and
  healthy people
• Respectfulness respect for the diversity of
  people and nature
• Fairness equity, tolerance, satisfaction with
  enough not more
• Truthfulness honesty, constant search for
  knowledge, need for evidence, critical thinking
• Carefulness, Goodness, Hopefulness, Happiness,
  Friendliness, Trustworthiness, Competitiveness
  etc

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Key question

• What makes a student competent or literate
  about sustainability?
• Knowledge, Skills, Values, Competencies?

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What is the evidence for more responsible
students?

• There is mounting evidence and media coverage
  that students want to work for ethical employers
  who are environmentally and socially responsible.
  
• Considered the social and environmental ethics of
  an employer before making a career choice.
• Said that the social and environmental
  responsibility of the employer was not the main
  deciding factor, but a differentiating one in
  their choice of job.
• Mistrusted the claims of employers about their
  social and environmental responsibilities.
• Are concerned about the preparation for their
  employment provided by universities and believed
  that sustainable development and corporate social
  responsibility (CSR) should be taught more at
  universities.

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Who influences graduate employability?
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What is the evidence for more employer demand?

• The trend to more responsible employers is
  affecting the graduate job market and the demand
  for more particular competencies from recent
  graduate recruits.
• Considered the social/environmental ethics,
  values and experience of university students as
  part of their graduate recruitment.
• Provided specialist induction and training for
  graduate recruits on their social and
  environmental responsibilities.
• Needed graduate recruits with specific
  competencies to support their social and
  environmental responsibilities.

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What/who drives employers to be sustainable?
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Employable Graduates for Responsible Employers
www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/sustainabil
ity
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What helps students learn for sustainability and
employability?

• Management and Learning that values
• Behaviour change and organisational change -
  Psychology
• Cultural change driven by social and
  environmental responsibility
• Departments that collaborate Interdisciplinary,
  Teamworking
• Dialogue and communication Social learning
• Participation by stakeholders Social learning
• Thinking critically and Thinking of the links
  Systems Thinking
• Sustainable lifestyles, workstyles and work-life
  balance
• Local links with global awareness
• Developing and learning with employers and
  communities

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Who can Champion C Change?

• Students for Employers
• (Workstyle)
• Culture
• Careers
• Competencies

Students for Society (Lifestyle) Citizens Consu
mers Carers

• Students in Universities/ Colleges
• Campus
• Curriculum
• Community

Volunteering
Work Experience
Student Competencies for Sustainability and
Employability
Sustainably responsible services/ products
Sustainably responsible students
Sustainable low carbon communities
EAUC Members can be the Catalytic Converters for
the C-Change
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Key question for EAUC members

• How can EAUC members and campus management most
  effectively help students learn about
  sustainability?
• As Champions, Go-Betweens, Leaders?
• Through estate staff, students, academics,
  managers?

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eauc Presentation

• Andrew Brown
• Managing Director
• Churngold Construction Ltd

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My Industry - Construction

• Responsible for 8 of GDP
• Employs 2.25 million people
• Our buildings are responsible for 20 of CO2
  output
• Generates the largest proportion of waste taken
  to landfill
• 95 of construction companies employ less than 5
  people
• Produces some memorable schemes

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Pushing for Change

• Egan Report called for
• Integrated teams
• Young graduates to act as ambassadors
• IiP to be recognised by 50 of employers
• Stern Report argued the need to
• Spend 1 of GDP now to avoid a 20 reduction in
  world output as a result of climate change
• Latest being the 2012 Construction Commitments

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2012 Construction Commitments

• Procurement Integration
• Commitment to People
• Client Leadership
• Sustainability
• Design Quality
• Health Safety

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But I have a real fear

• Sustainability and CSR are becoming subjects in
  their own right
• At its worst relegated to Tick Boxes and Eco
  Bling
• The argument for undertaking your business in a
  more sustainable and responsible way is actually
  a no brainer

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Churngold and Sustainability

• Thinking Globally but acting locally
• Local people using local resources locally
• Or put another way
• More time in bed
• Waiting less for delivers
• Getting home earlier
• However, it needs greater involvement and effort
• Leading to greater efficiency and satisfaction
• Which leads to improved margin

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Churngold and CSR

• Introduced Life Assurance and Pensions for all
  employees
• Invested heavily in training and improved Health
  and Safety
• Working alongside local stakeholders
• However, it needs greater involvement and effort
• Leading to greater efficiency and satisfaction
• Which leads to improved margin

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What am I asking for

• Sustainability and CSR taught in primary schools
  alongside the 3Rs as basic life tools
• The correct way of living would be automatic
• Schools to continue this integrated thinking and
  learning
• Colleges to develop this integration further and
  continue to push the boundaries by research
• We all live happily ever after, with some of us
  just a little bit richer than others

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eauc Presentation

• Andrew Brown
• Managing Director
• Churngold Construction Ltd