Sustainable Futures
Sustainable Futures is a landmark careers programme that ensures young people develop and apply sustainable thinking as they consider their career pathway options, enabling them to make decisions about futures that are good for them, and for the planet.
The world is facing an environmental crisis due to climate change and biodiversity loss caused by human activities and exploitation of natural resources. Living and working in harmony with the planet is key to its survival. Educating our young people on the importance of sustainability in their personal lives and future careers is paramount.
Through our partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) UK and Founders4Schools (F4S), we have created a course for students which focusses on the importance of developing a sustainable approach to careers. The course can be delivered by careers leads and teachers in schools and colleges as part of their careers curriculum, and is supported with training and resources.
While many people associate it with the environment, sustainability can be explored in various other contexts, including economic development, social responsibility, preservation of ecosystems, occupations and behaviour patterns.
Sustainable Futures responds to these pressing needs:
- A swift and effective transition to a green economy, necessitated by the climate crisis and biodiversity loss.
- The creation of a groundswell of future prospects for young people emerging from education at a time of environmental crisis and economic upheaval.
- The need to ensure that all new “green” jobs are filled by people from all corners of our society.
What does Sustainable Futures encompass?
CPD TRAINING: DELIVERING THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURES COURSE
Our free, certificated CPD training and resources provides teachers and career leads with the tools and support they need to empower students aged 14-18 to build a sustainable career.
In just a single 90-minute webinar, you will learn how to:
- relate the key concepts at the heart of the Sustainable Futures programme to students and colleagues;
- evaluate student learning progress;
- communicate to students how businesses and careers relate to sustainability and environmental issues;
- integrate business encounters into careers guidance provision in a way that builds understanding of sustainable careers;
- communicate to students how to apply sustainable values and knowledge when mapping a career pathway;
- convey potential distressing information about the climate crisis in a way that mitigates against anxiety and builds agency in students; and
- align and integrate delivery of the Sustainable Futures course with other career guidance activity available to your students.
Upcoming CPD Training:
Choose any date that suits you, online, 4 - 5 pm on:
- 6 December 2023
- 10 January 2024
- 7 February 2024
- 6 March 202
THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURES COURSE FOR STUDENTS
The Sustainable Futures course equips young people aged 14-18 to thrive in a future green economy, regardless of their career path. It can be delivered by teachers, careers leads or facilitators to groups or whole classes of students.
Over four 90-minute sessions, which can be delivered online or face to face, your students will:
- gain knowledge around the fundamentals of sustainability;
- understand the role of business and its relevance to sustainable career pathways; and
- reflect on their own skills and values and apply that to their education or career pathway.
BRINGING THE COURSE CONCEPTS TO LIFE
Employee encounters and workplace experiences are some of the ways we embed the course concepts for students. Through our partnership with Founders4schools, you can invite business role models and sustainability champions to speak with your group. They might highlight how sustainability is integral to their work, or how their company is changing its practices to become more sustainable
Upcoming Sustainable Futures Training for Years 12-13:
Online, 5 to 6.30 pm on:
- Session 1: 11 December 2023
- Session 2: 13 December 2023
- Session 3: 19 December 2023
World-class partners
The Sustainable Futures programme has been developed in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) UK and Founders4Schools (F4S), and funded by the Evolution Education Trust (EET), ensuring that all young people in the UK are equipped to thrive in a green economy that works to increase biodiversity and tackle climate change.
The ultimate goal is for sustainability to become an embedded component in careers education across all schools in the United Kingdom.
EET is an established and highly-valued supporter of Villiers Park, having funded several of our STEM programmes since 2014. Sustainable Futures will further develop and strengthen our partnership with the Trust.
The Sustainable Futures team is commissioning an evaluation of the programme during its current delivery phase from November 2022 to July 2024. We may contact schools and stakeholders to take part in this important step towards understanding the programme’s impact. The evaluation findings will guide evidence-based decision-making, enabling us to make necessary adjustments or enhancements to the Sustainable Futures programme.
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