The project was meant to help VET members and learners understand the impact of environmental challenges and increase "environmental literacy" of VETs by strengthening the capacity of local communities through active environmental education. In addition to that, the idea behind the VEforCA project was to promote education for change as well as to develop critical active citizen-ship and advocacy for sustainable development. It also pursued the following specific objectives: - Increasing opportunities of VETs to engage with their communities in environmental and climate actions while enhancing their ability to think critically; - Developing an open e-learning programme for VET educators empowering them to support community engagement for the environment; - Developing a set of resources to increase and measure eco-consciousness among VETs; - Encouraging a shared decision-making process and co-design of environmental policy initiatives by applying a multi-stakeholder approach; - Ensuring wide and sustainable access to the project results among VET learners, educators, CSOs, and policy-makers.
VET education can be a powerful tool to enhance the individual’s capability of responding to local issues in a global context. The main aim of the project was to make community-based environmental VET education a more central and visible part of the response to sustainability issues. It was also inspired by the European Climate Pact, launched on 16/12/2020, which underlines the need of a space for people across all walks of life to connect and together develop and implement climate solutions. Environmental education and awareness-raising for VETs can: - empower informed decision-making; - play an essential role in increasing adaptation capacities of communities and competences-development in environmental education; - empower people to adopt sustainable lifestyles; - strengthen critical thinking and awareness of taking individual responsibility and changing habits for a positive environmental change; - engage VET professionals in the process of increasing environmental awareness and promoting pro-ecological behaviours. The project highlights the individual agency by introducing the concept of citizen science and promoting awareness of the impact of climate challenges, encouraging changes in individuals’ attitudes and behaviour.