Vocational Education and Training in the face of the Green shift‑Establishing sustainable education for renewable Energy in the Nordic green Belt (Green‑VET)

Green VET is a feasibility study for a larger project with Norwegian and Swedish universities, energy industries and education. The main objective of the Green VET project has focused on strengthening the collaboration between higher education institutions and the business community to develop sustainable education in renewable energy in the Nordic Green Belt. Through collaboration between NTNU, MIUN and local upper secondary schools in Trøndelag and Jämtland, as well as actors in the power industry, the project has focused on meeting the challenges that come with the green transition. The background to Green Vocational Education is the ongoing climate and nature crisis, which has led to an increased need for access to renewable energy, land and expertise. There is a recognized shortage of these resources in the Nordic Green Belt, and the restructuring will entail significant changes in industry structure, occupational composition and work content. In order to navigate this transformation, it is crucial that both existing and new skills are developed and adapted. The project has focused on mapping and also starting the work of inventorying collaboration opportunities within vocational education, with a particular focus on skills matching between the education system and the needs of the labour market. This is particularly important given the growing demand for workers with relevant skills in the green energy sector. It has also been pointed out that there are challenges in creating education that is valid across national borders, which further complicates the situation in the Nordic Green Belt. The Green-VET project aims to help prepare the workforce of the future for the demands that will follow from the green transition. The project wants to ensure that education is developed that actually meets the needs of the power industry and the renewable energy sector. Green-VET has a vision of transcending national borders and contributing to a more sustainable future by bridging the gap between education and industry. Problem: How can higher education institutions and companies in collaboration develop socially, economically and environmentally sustainable education to promote renewable energy, in the Nordic Green Belt?