Greening VET Education

The GreenVET Pathway is an Erasmus+ project dedicated to helping VET schools embed sustainability across every level of their operations. With partners from Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Latvia, Slovenia and Italy, the project is built on the belief that the transition to a green, resilient Europe must start in education — by preparing educators, learners and the administrative staff to adopt sustainable values, skills, and practices that extend beyond the classroom.

At the core of the project lies the GreenVET Pathway Framework (titled “Green futures: Navigating sustainability in vocational education and training”), a practical tool designed to support VET institutions in integrating sustainability according to the Whole Institution Approach. Rather than treating sustainability as an isolated subject, this approach promotes its inclusion across governance, teaching, infrastructure, community engagement, and school culture. The Framework provides clear guidelines, self-assessment criteria, and examples to help schools reflect on their current practices and plan concrete actions towards greener operations.

To complement the Framework, the GreenVET consortium conducted a 3-day in-person training of VET students, VET teachers and VET administrators in Espoo, Finland, as well as 3 on-line trainings. Furthermore, a Digital Database of Best Practices, which will soon be publicly available on the project website, is being finalised. This tool gathers real examples of sustainable practices implemented by VET schools across Europe, covering areas such as energy efficiency, circular economy, food waste reduction, and community engagement. Each best practice is mapped according to the six focus areas of the Whole Institution Approach, offering users both inspiration and practical steps for replication.

Together, the Framework and Database aim to create a comprehensive support system for schools at different stages of their sustainability journey — from those just beginning to explore the topic to those seeking to deepen their impact. The GreenVET Pathway empowers educators, administrators, and learners alike to take ownership of sustainability and become active drivers of the green transition within their institutions.

By combining structured guidance with real-life examples, GreenVET offers not only a strategy but also the tools to bring sustainability to life in vocational education. As Europe moves toward its Green Deal goals, initiatives like GreenVET prove that the change begins with education — and that VET schools can be at the forefront of building a greener future.

To learn more about the GreenVET Pathway project, visit our website: https://green-vet.eu/

To download the Framework: https://green-vet.eu/content/framework.php

Check out their Social Media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenvetpathway
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenvet_project/

Author: Christina Kefala, European Projects Manager, P-Consulting.