A UNEVOC Centre’s journey to become a greener TVET institution

In a world where environmental consideration is no longer a choice but a necessity, institutions like the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) are taking action to become greener by addressing the needs of the current TVET learning environment and curricula.

MITD, which has been an active UNEVOC Centre since 1996, has started implementing an initiative called the Greening TVET Institution Action Plan. With the support of UNESCO-UNEVOC, the initiative builds on previous project successes of MITD in greening its courses, which now require a review to reflect emerging green skills and technologies.

A short analysis of data provided by MITD highlighted the lack of a clear definition of greening. The term ‘greening’ remains vaguely defined and understood. It is an advantage on one hand as it allows the TVET institution to consider the environmental aspect in their cultural, social, political and geographical contexts. On the other hand, the terminology lacks a clear operational framework, according to Fabrice Sorin of Circulab, who led the analysis and design of training.

The Greening TVET Institution Action Plan is designed to facilitate the adaptation of UNESCO-UNEVOC’s greening TVET guide to the processes of MITD. The project currently focuses on greening the campus and curriculum, including:

• a review of existing programmes;
• the development of new programmes;
• the implementation of a school-wide greening programme
• setting up a plant nursery in one of the training sites; and
• launching an awareness raising campaign at the training centres and in the community.

A select cohort of managers and curriculum development personnel at MITD completed a series of online webinars between January and February 2024 in the lead up to a three-day, in-person training of trainers (ToT) programme, supported by Circulab. The Minister of Labour, Industrial Relations, Employment and Training of Mauritius, Soodesh Satkam Callichurn, opened the programme by emphasizing the importance of green, sustainable and circular economy subjects in the activities and training offered by MITD. The ToT put in practice the pedagogical approach of training and learning using gamification, supported in adapting this approach to selected curricula.

Overall, the initiative has enabled MITD to engage in a process of creating a greener campus vision through the setting up of a plant nursery, to be followed by the development of a water harvest system and vertical garden later in the year. It also trained 18 MITD personnel in circular economy principles and the updates needed to integrate these principles into the sustainable development, agriculture and solar energy technology curricula of MITD.

In the coming months, MITD is collaborating with the University of Mauritius to integrate green components in other MITD curricula, including in mechanical, construction, electrical and electronics, IT and hospitality sectors.

The training on circular economy was complemented by technical input drawn from the Bridging Innovation and Learning in TVET (BILT) project’s expert group on new qualifications and competencies in hospitality and tourism. Kenny Muscat, BILT Project Manager at UNESCO-UNEVOC, shared insights and experiences from the group’s work, taking into consideration the importance of this sector for Mauritius.

The trained instructors, managers and staff are now supporting MITD in the multiplier phase as the institution continues its journey to become greener.

The project was supported with funding contributions from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

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