The ERASMUS+ project Sustain EU - European Sustainability Expert - Driving green growth through new skills deployment is an international vocational education and training project that focuses on employability and how to deal with changing work environments and career paths, while developing and evaluating support services for individuals based on the Green Deal. These individuals will be trained as experts in the field of sustainability.

Vocational education and training (VET) is the education and training sector closest to the labor market and is at the forefront of providing skills and qualifications to successfully drive the digital and green transitions. The project supports young people in their transition to working life and adults in remaining employable and adaptable to changing tasks, work environments and career developments throughout their working lives.

In view of the general economic and social trends and the EU's goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, the importance of further training for the workforce and the need for upskilling and reskilling is growing.

Within the Erasmus+ program, the European Sustainability Expert (ESE) project focuses on equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills to drive transformative change in companies and organizations towards a sustainable and resilient future. This is based on the principles of environmental protection, social responsibility and economic prosperity. The project will play a crucial role in addressing the EU skills shortage and in building a skilled workforce capable of supporting sustainable growth and development in line with the objectives of the EU Green Deal and the European Skills Agenda.

The project language is English and it contains five work packages.

Work Packages:

• 1 – Project Management to include risk management, quality assurance, branding and impact management
• 2 – ESE Competence Profile and Curriculum
• 3 – European Sustainability Expert hybrid course
• 4 – Train-the-trainer programme for VET professionals to build an understanding of green economy and emergent labour market requirements and future trends, training methodology to support the successful implementation of the sustainability expert curriculum, career guidance system presenting green VET job profiles, providing expert guidance on sustainability as part of their normal provision.
• 5 – Dissemination, Events and Sustainability

Duration: 24 months

Project start: 01.11.2024

End of project: 31.10.2026

Partners:

• Instituto de soldadura e qualidade (ISQ), Portugal (Coordinator)
• University of Paderborn - UPB, Chair of Business Education II, Germany (Concept partner, didactics partner, university partner)
• Spectrum Research Centre CLG Ireland (Education and testing partner)
• Grupul Pentru Integrare Europeana (GIE), Romania (NGO, education and testing partner)
• Berufsf?rderungsinstitut Burgenland Austria Burgenland, Austria (education and testing partner)
• CONFIMI Industria Basilicata - Associazione del l'Industria Manifatturiera e dell'impresa privata di Basilicata, Italy (education and testing partner)

Sponsor:

• ERASMUS+ program for vocational training, KA220-VET-Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training