As apprenticeship providers and other training organisations continue to deliver the skills needed to support our industries, businesses and public services, they must also focus on sustainability as a medium and long-term goal to ensure their future success. To ensure this happens, appointing a green champion can help. But what would a green champion focus on in a skills organisation? And what would their tasks broadly be?
Workplace Tasks for a Green Champion
We’ve pulled together a list of tasks that a green champion working for a training provider might deliver:
- Putting the systems and processes in place to measure and report your organisation’s carbon emissions. A green champion could oversee the establishment of mechanisms to track the organisation’s carbon footprint accurately, ensuring transparency and accountability in sustainability practices.
- Developing educational material and resources to incorporate into the curriculum for apprenticeships and other training courses. This could involve creating modules on sustainable practices within the skills sector, or integrating green principles into existing courses.
- Commencing the pathway to obtaining externally verified sustainability certification. This could involve researching appropriate certifications, understanding their requirements, and beginning the application process.
- Seeking out sustainability community projects and green charities to link up with. This could provide opportunities for apprentices and learners to participate in real-world sustainability initiatives, enhancing their learning and fostering a culture of environmental responsibility.
- Training other members of staff to have sustainability skills and knowledge relevant to the learning and skills sector. This could involve organising workshops, seminars, or training sessions to increase the overall sustainability knowledge within the organisation.
- Managing the organisational communications strategy related to sustainability and green issues. This could involve reporting on the organisation’s progress to carbon neutrality, using social media to engage the wider community with any community projects, posting sustainability news items to the organisation’s website, and providing an internal staff update on green news and progress.
This list isn’t exhaustive. There are many other areas of focus for a green champion, including developing sustainability policies and procedures as part of an organisational strategy; coordinating sustainability initiatives to ensure stakeholders are engaged; involving staff and volunteers in environmental practices; monitoring energy usage, and many more.
Future success
In conclusion, the role of the green champion is essential in any training organisation striving for sustainability. While it may not always be feasible to have a dedicated staff member in this role due to resource limitations, it is crucial to assign these responsibilities to a team member as at least part of their role. This individual should have a passion for environmental issues and have managerial support and the time to carry out these duties effectively. Sustainability is not merely an add-on, but a core component of the future within the skills sector.