Sustainability in the occupational identities of apprentices in VET

Sustainability has become a key social concept, covering environmental responsibility, social solidarity and economic performance. The views of apprentices on this multifaceted and contentious topic and their expectations are a key factor in the successful integration of education for sustainability into vocational education and training (VET).

Two young women planting a young tree in soil - Topic nature conservation, sustainability and raw materials, climate change - Generative AI Illustration
Adobe Stock/Steffen Kögler

Education for sustainability is increasingly entering the world of VET as an educational objective to convey knowledge to apprentices, to raise awareness and to strengthen their position as actors for a socio-ecological transformation in the context of their occupational activities and everyday lives. The world of work is a critical site for sustainability, but one which can also change through technological, economic and social innovations and the participation of young professionals.

The research project seeks to determine the extent to which apprentices are concerned with sustainability in relation to their occupational activities and the impact of education for sustainability in the context of VET.

The following questions are relevant to the project:

  1. What is apprentices’ understanding of sustainability and how aware are they of it in relation to their occupational activities? What role does sustainability play in the performance of their occupation? How apprentices integrate sustainability into their occupational identities?
  2. How do apprentices come into contact with sustainability-related topics during VET? How are they encouraged, supported and promoted at vocational schools and training companies as part of education for sustainability?
  3. Do apprentices integrate sustainability into their occupational identity in an integral and pluralistic sense and is social transformation taken into account?