Gen Green: Changes in Australian apprentices’ and trainees’ experience of skills and sustainability from 2008 to 2011

Abstract

The Gen Green research in 2008 and 2011 indicates that skills for sustainability public policy and business initiatives are having an impact, but that young skilled Australians’ high level of interest in sustainability skills is confounded by a lack of guidance and incentives from employers, the market and educators. The research indicates that, since 2008, there has been a significant take up of green skills in workplaces and courses. Young skilled people say that their learning of sustainability skills from all sources has increased, continuing to recognise TAFE as their main source of learning about sustainability skills. Young skilled people see barriers to sustainability reducing and shifting from cultural factors to technological limitations. However, the research indicates that there remains a large gap between young skilled peoples’ aspirations to develop skills for sustainability and available learning opportunities, suggesting an increased scope for skills for sustainability initiatives in the future.

Keywords:

• vocational skills
• sustainability
• green skills
• apprentices and trainees
• youth views