Green Skills Award 2023

PRESS RELEASE - ETF Green Skills Award 2023: Ten Finalists Announced

Brussels, 8 June, 2023 – The European Training Foundation has unveiled the ten 2023 ETF Green Skills Award finalists. The award recognises initiatives at the forefront of driving the transition towards a sustainable and green future and have demonstrated exceptional commitment and innovation in promoting and developing green skills throughout the world.

This year's ten finalists encompass a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise, representing various countries. They were selected from nearly 600 applications from over 60 countries. Here is the complete list:

  • Armenia: TUMO Labs - Empowering youth to protect the environment through a climate change observatory
  • Georgia: Construct2 - Developing a public-private partnership for the provision of training on eco-friendly building materials
  • Indonesia: Carbon Addons - Enabling youth to become climate changemakers through a carbon academy
  • Kenya: E-waste management - Promoting skills development opportunities for sustainable e-waste management
  • Lebanon: Zero waste project - Educating for waste reduction and student environmental empowerment
  • Morocco with Spain: Bouregreg Med-O-Med Gardening School by FUNCI - Providing green vocational training for marginalised youth
  • Serbia: The Green Art Incubator - Promoting sustainable practices in the culture and arts sector
  • Türkiye: Birsen Tanrikulu, teacher - Fostering green skills and sustainability in education
  • Ukraine: Taras Shevchenko National University - Equipping future professionals with green competences
  • USA with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe: WeCareSolar - Developing renewable energy solutions for remote communities and women's empowerment

The winners of the Green Skills Award will be selected by public vote open until 29 September (23:59 CEST) and will be announced at an award ceremony in late 2023. The stories of all finalists and the voting system can be found here: Image removed. https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/GoGreen.

“Having the opportunity to choose ten finalists out of 600 applicants tells it all: the ETF Green Skills Award 2023 has attracted topical proposals from across the globe”, said ETF Director, Pilvi Torsti. “This is encouraging for the coming decades are critical if we are to find scalable solutions for a more sustainable world in the future. Most of the proposals demonstrate remarkable dedication in driving the green skills agenda forward within their communities, and I really wish them success. The ETF will continue to support countries in this direction”.

The ETF Green Skills Award

The Green Skills Award is a global initiative that was first introduced by the ETF in 2021. It provides ideas and inspiration from all over the world about innovation happening thanks to individuals and institutions. The initiative has become a source of good practice that can inspire people everywhere to make real change happen in creating circular and carbon-neutral economies and societies.

The previous two editions of the award received 198 applications and 26,700 votes from around the world. The winning initiatives range from upskilling refugees in solar energy to promoting environmental awareness in schools:

Background

The European Training Foundation is the EU agency supporting the countries of the EU neighbourhood to reform their education, training and labour market systems. In line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and the European Year of Skills, it actively supports progress towards sustainable, carbon-neutral, and circular economies and societies through skills development.

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Info

Daria Santucci, Strategic Communication Team, +39 011 6302260,   mediarelations@etf.europa.eu

 

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FACTSHEET

The ETF Green Skills Award Finalists 2023

Voting platform: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/GoGreen 

 

Armenia – TUMO Labs
Empowering youth to protect the environment through a climate change observatory

TUMO Labs in Armenia offer free education through its after-school programme. The ClimateNet project, developed by TUMO Labs, has established a climate change observatory project involving intergenerational participation, empowering young people to track and raise awareness of environmental and climate change through weather stations, fostering green skills and systemic change in the country.

 

Georgia – Construct2
Developing a public-private partnership for the provision of training on eco-friendly building materials

Construct2, a vocational college in Georgia established through a public-private partnership, offers specialised programmes that cater to the needs of the construction sector. With a focus on sustainability, Construct2 has successfully trained bricklayers in the use of aerated concrete blocks, leading to high employment rates for graduates and driving the adoption of these eco-friendly building materials in the Georgian construction industry.

 

Indonesia – Carbon Addons
Enabling youth to become climate changemakers through a carbon academy

Carbon Academy, a youth-led initiative by Carbon Addons in Indonesia, offers a learning platform for youth and young professionals. The academy provides mentorship, supports sustainable business ideas, and fosters green career development to empower learners and enable them to become climate changemakers. Now expanding globally through partnerships, Carbon Academy aims to create accessible, high-quality climate education and contribute to building a sustainable and resilient future.

 

Kenya – E-waste management
Promoting skills development opportunities for sustainable e-waste management

A project called "Promoting Demand-Driven Skills in E-waste Management and Recycling in Kenya" aims to address the challenges posed by e-waste. Currently, only 1% of e-waste generated annually in Kenya is recycled, leading to environmental pollution. The project focuses on building the capacity of local institutions to train technicians with the necessary skills to process and manage e-waste. Through the development of a curriculum, equipment provision, and training, the project has successfully created employment opportunities for Kenyan young people while addressing the environmental and health concerns associated with improper e-waste disposal. The project's approach and outcomes make it a leading model for sustainable e-waste management initiatives globally.

 

Lebanon – Zero waste project
Educating for waste reduction and student environmental empowerment

Lebanon is grappling with severe waste management issues characterised by accumulating  waste and environmental pollution. To combat this, a public school educator, Faten Sleem, launched a zero waste initiative, focusing on education to empower students and the wider community. The project is establishing a model for waste reduction and inspire other schools and communities. The methodology involves developing a waste reduction plan, promoting reusable containers, collaborating with local businesses and parents, involving students in awareness campaigns, and establishing partnerships with local farmers and NGOs. They have achieved reduced waste generation, promoted of sustainable behaviours, developed leadership skills, and improved the school's environmental footprint.

 

Morocco with Spain – Bouregreg Med-O-Med Gardening School by FUNCI
Providing green vocational training for marginalised youth

The Bouregreg Med-O-Med Gardening School is a vocational training centre in Salé, Morocco, providing green employment opportunities for marginalised young people. Managed by FUNCI-Morocco, it offers free training courses and focuses on ecological gardening practices. The school is located on a rehabilitated landfill site and promotes sustainable development strategies in line with national environmental policies. With a three-year curriculum, it trains up to 90 learners annually and supports their integration into the job market. The school also serves as an environmental education centre for the public and generates income through plant production and various activities.

 

Serbia – The Green Art Incubator
Promoting sustainable practices in the culture and arts sector

  • The Green Art Incubator initiative has two main goals. Firstly, to promote ecologically sustainable management philosophies and work procedures within the culture and arts sector. They do this through education and capacity building, with over 80 cultural professionals from 40 different organisations that have already started implementing green concepts in their daily operations. Secondly, they redefine the social role of culture as an agent of change in the context of climate change mitigation. They have received support from various institutions and are now involved in research and international partnerships to promote green practices in the world of arts. This initiative has genuinely sparked a dialogue and raised awareness about the role of arts and culture in addressing environmental challenges.

  • More: https://youtu.be/ZvukstUO9a

 

Türkiye – Birsen Tanrikulu, teacher
Fostering green skills and sustainability in education

Over the course of five years, Birsen Tanrikulu, a teacher from Türkiye, has focused on promoting green skills and sustainability through eTwinning and Erasmus+ projects. She has introduced recycling and digital practices into the curricula, developing green skills among pupils. Following the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030, Birsen Tanrikulu empowers her students to embrace the knowledge, skills and values of the three ‘pillars’ of sustainable development: society, environment and economy.

 

Ukraine – Taras Shevchenko National University
Equipping future professionals with green competences

The Department of Environmental Management and Entrepreneurship from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv is training a new generation of professionals equipped with green competences. They have developed a range of courses and educational materials focused on ecological economics, green business, and environmental management. They also ensure practical experiences for all students in companies providing them with the employment opportunities to contribute to the green transition in Ukraine, which has not stopped despite the Russian aggression.

 

USA with Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zimbabwe – WeCareSolar
Developing renewable energy solutions for remote communities and women's empowerment

WeCareSolar is a non-governmental organisation that focuses on providing distributed renewable energy solutions to remote communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. WeCareSolar offers Solar Suitcases, which replace fossil fuel sources of lighting and provide clean, sustainable energy to rural health facilities and schools. The organisation actively promotes women's empowerment by recruiting and training African women in solar skills and providing them with green employment. Through their programmes, they have served millions of people, improved health workers’ conditions, and trained technicians in installation and maintenance.