ERIC ED371111: Environmental Training and Further Training in the Federal Republic of Germany. Training Discussion Paper No. 112.

50 Pages·1993·1.9 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 371 111
CE 064 425
TITLE
Environmental Training and Further Training in the
Federal Republic of Germany. Training Discussion
Paper No. 112.
INSTITUTION
International Labour Office, Geneva (Switzerland).
REPORT NO
ISBN-92-2-109028-0
PUB DATE
93
NOTE
50p.
PUB TYPE
Reports
Research/Technical (143)
EDRS PRICE
MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS
Adult Education; Conservation (Environment);
*Continuing Education; Developed Nations; Ecology;
*Environmental Education; Foreign Countries; Natural
Resources; *On the Job Training; Postsecondary
Education; Secondary Education; Teacher Education;
*Vocational Education; *Vocational Education
Teachers
*Germany
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This report describes environmental training in the
Federal Republic of Germany, confined to that provided in vocational
schools and industrial establishments. It also covers the further
training of environmental trainers in such establishments. Following
an introduction (Chapter I), Chapter II outlines the
politico-educational background of job-related environmental studies.
The next four chapters (Chapters III-VI), examine the integration of
environmental protection into four training sectors by means of
examples or case studies, referring also to the organizational
context in each case. These chapters focus on environmental studies
in on-the-job training, environmental studies in the further training
of training personnel, environmental training in technical colleges,
and environmental training in further training for teachers. Chapter
VII maps out perspectives for the improvement of environmental
training in the sectors examined, on the basis of the programs
described and of the current debate on environmental training. (Sixty
endnotes are appended.) (YU)
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OERI position or policy
Training Policies Branch
International Labour Office Geneva
Discussion Paper No. 112
Environmental training and further training
in the Federal republic of Germany
by Institut fur Umweltschutz und Berufsbildung e.V.
UMITED DISTRIBUTION
Discussion papers are preliminary material to stimulate discussion
and critical comment. The views expressed by editorial staff and
contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the IW.
Training Policies Branch
International Labour Office Geneva
Copyright © International Labour Organization
1993
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ISBN 92-2409028-0
First published 1993
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Contents
I. Introduction
1
II. Politico-educational background of job-related environmental studies
3
III. Environmental studies in on-job-training
5
A. Present situation
5
B. Case examples
6
IV. Environmental studies in the further training of training personnel
13
A. Present situation
13
B. Case studies
14
V. Environmental training in technical colleges
27
A. Organisation and objectives
27
B. Case examples
27
C. Special indications
32
VI. Environmental training in further training for teachers
33
A. Recommendation of the education authorities
33
B. Case examples: environmental training in further teacher-training in Lower Saxony
34
C. Development trends
39
VII. Prospects
41
A. On-the-job training and further training of training personnel
41
B. Vocational school and further training for teachers
42
Notes
45
Introduction
I.
on examples with which we were familiar, to
The purpose of this report is to describe
describe them in the form of case studies and
environmental training in the Federal Republic
examine them in the context of the current
of Germany, confined to that provided in voca-
debate on training policy. Our experience in
tional schools and industrial establishments. It
the field of job-related environmental training
will also cover the further training of environ-
mental trainers in such establishments. The
was particularly useful here.
study will be limited to the basic vocational
We opted for cases where the declared aim
training in the dual system.
was to integrate environmental protection into
training and further training, concentrating
Tilining under the dual system involves
primarily on the training required in a few
two learning environments. It is provided in
specific industrial occupations, in order to en-
firms on the basis of civil law agreements and
federal acts, as well as in vocational training
sure at least a measure of comparability in the
examples. As far as we can judge from the
establishments on the basis of educational laws
available literature on the subject, these are
of the various Federal Linder. This gives rise
to specific elements of particular significance
typical, if not standard-setting examples.
to the integration of environmental protection
We have applied the following methodol-
into vocational training. We shall go into this in
ogy in compiling this tenon:
greater detail later in this report.
examination and analysis of available litera-
We must first establish what skills related
ture;
to environmental protection are considered
interviews (some by telephone) with per-
necessary within the context of initial vocation-
sons responsible for training (trainers, fur-
al training in Germany, and to what extent they
ther trainers, vocational school teachers
are actually taught, and how they are taught, on
and one environmental consultant);
the job and in training establishments. Then we
inspection of training workshops;
must examine the form and conditions of fur-
ther training in this field for institutional and
analysis of documentation (training regula-
on-the-job training personnel. We shall con-
tions, teaching curricula, further training
sider only those further training programmes
programmes, project descriptions, business
that are specifically designed for trainers and
reports etc.).
vocational school teachers. Other environ-
mental training and further training oppor-
The report is divided into the following
tunities are outside the scope of this report.
sections: First we outline the politico-educa-
tional background of job-related environmen-
There have been a number of official an-
tal studies. In the subsequent four chapters we
nouncements and declarations of intent, but so
shall examine the integration of environmental
far there has been no adequate progress
protection into four training sectors by means
evaluation of the new and constantly expand-
of examples, referring also to the organisation-
ing field of job-related environmental training.
al context in each case. In conclusion, we shall
The less than three-month time-span allotted
map out perspectives for the improvement of
for the completion of this report was somewhat
environmental training in the sectors ex-
too short to undertake a representative survey
amined, on the basis of the programmes
on the integration of environmental protec-
described and of the current debate on en-
tion. We were obliged, therefore, to fall back
vironmental training.
1
11. Politico-educational background of job-related
environmental studies
As early as 1971 the Federal Government's
ing establishments especially in the new Ger-
environmental programmel stressed the need
man provinces. 4
to promote environmental awareness in
on-
the-job and institutional vocational training.
The report of the German Parliamentary
No increased activity in the field of environ-
Survey Commission "Future educational policy
mental training was registered until environ-
- education in the year
2000"5and the
recom-
mental policy became a separate policy issue,
mendations of a group of experts appointed by
i.e. the early eighties.
the BMBW to implement the recommenda-
tions of the Survey Qmnmission on "Preventive
Particularly worthy of mention in this
con-
Measures to Protect the Earth's Atmosphere"6
text are the statement of the Lander Ministers
within the training system are of special sig-
of Education and the Arts in 1980 concerning
nificance from the point of view of objectives
the school's role in enviromental education,
to be attained.
and the 1986 symposium on "Environmental
'Raining - a mission for the future", With which
The view that environmental training is
the Federal Minister of Education and Science
essential if the future viability of modern in-
(BMBW) began to devote greater attention to
dustrial society is to be ensured is gradually
this aspect of education. In 1987, the Federal
acquiring acceptance and increasing support in
and Regional Commission for educational
Germany. Those involved in vocational educa-
planning and research promotion (BLK
=
tion are in agreement that every occupation
Bund-Liinder-Kommission
affects the environment
ffir
- albeit to varying
Bildungs-
planung und Forschungsforderung) intro-
degrees.
Environmental
protection
skills
duced a project to include environmental
should therefore be taught in the
course of
issues in education.2 A major impetus
was pro-
training for every occupation
- this applies to
vided by the Federal Institute for Vocational
both the institutional and on-the-job
com-
'Raining (BIBB), which set up
a research
ponents of training. Environment-related skills
project for "Skills Requirements and 'Raining
are often seen as core or basic skills in this
in Etwironment Protection". The project
context. By contrast, new, separate skilled oc-
develops materials for on-the-job training in
cupations in environmental protection
are des-
environmental protection and
programmes
tined to remain the exception, to be created
and materials to reinforce the further training
when areas of responsibility in the field of
en-
of environmental training personnel,
as well as
vironmental protection cannot be covered by
exploring new fields of occupational activity
existing skilled occupations. One such
recog-
specifically related to environmental protec-
nised skilled occupation exists at
present in
tion. The pilot experimental project "Environ-
Germany - that of waste management and dis-
ment Protection
in Vocational 'Raining"
posal technician.
monitors 11 industrial pilot schemes (in exist-
ence in January 1992), in which programmes,
The situation is somewhat different in the
methods, materials and media for the integra-
field of further training, where regional initia-
tion of environment protection in training and
tives and informal standards have to
some ex-
further training arc being developed and
tent led to the creation of new professions,
tested.3 Since 1991,
the BMBW has been
which may or may not be subsequently officially
promoting projects for the training of environ-
recognised by the competent professional
as-
sociatisns and/or the Federal Government.
mental training personnel in vocational train-
3
One example of this is the "environmental
industrial infrastructures that harm the en-
con-
sultant in craft trades" (Hamburg trade
cor-
vironment should be discontinued in the inter-
poration). On the whole, the emergence of
est of widening the field of ecological action
new environment-related occupations is also
and decision-making. There is, however, agree-
treated with reserve in the field of further train-
ment in principle that environment-oriented
ing?
training for workers is impossible unless ap-
propriate conditions are set in place, i.e. tech-
At a general level, at least, there is also
nical and organisational environmental pro-
consensus in Germany concerning the objec-
tection measures in industry. The reverse also
tives of environmental training. Environmen-
applies: technical and organisational environ-
tal training should go beyond mere reactive
mental protection measures in industry require
re-
compliance with government standards and
the co-operation and acceptance of the
quirements. It is not solely 2. matter of teaching
workers if they are to be implemented.
the job-related knowledge and skills, e.g. legal
requirements or the "correct" handling of sub-
Nobody disputes the fact that environ-
stances and appliances. Analytical skills must
mental skills cannot be taught through the
also be taught, such as how to recognise
traditional forms of vocational education.
ecological correlations and the effects of job-
Teaching and learning processes should be
related activity on the environment. In
par-
designed in such a way that didactic criteria
ticular,
however,
environmental
training
such as involvement, integrity, associative
should promote environmental awareness
thinking and co-ordinated action should be
among working persons and lead them to adopt
taken into consideration as much as initiative-
a responsible attitude to nature. Above all, it
promoting learning methods. What is needed
should lead them to greater respect for the
the co-operation of different learning
is
environment in the activities associated with
centres and the participation of environmental
their jobs.
experts
from
the
and
within
outside
enterprise8
Opinions differ as to the extent to which
certain job-related and industrial activities and
4
Ill. Environmental studies in on-the-job
training
A. Present situation
expressly stated, in training regulations, often
in connection with occupational safety. An ex-
ample of this would be the correct maintenance
Since the end of the seventies, environ-
of plant in the metal industry. Since questions
mental protection has been increasingly in-
on environmental issues - though part of the
tegrated into vocational training regulations.
training syllabus and therefore subject to ex-
These constitute the legal basis for the practi-
amination - have, in fact rarely been set in
cal on-the-job component of vocational train-
either intermediate or final examinations up to
ing. Environmental protection is integrated by
now, and the environmental relevance of train-
being included in the job outline for the
oc-
ing subjects has so far not been examined, apart
cupation envisaged. Thus, for example, the job
from the first experiments in the metal sector,
outline for the industrial metal and electrical
for example, there is a certain amount of
con-
engineering occupations, reclassified in 1987,
fusion among both on-the-job training person-
lists
"occupational
safety,
environmental
nel and examiners, as to how environmental
protection and the rational use of energy". The
protection is to be taught in the training course,
skills and knowledge to be imparted through-
and what issues are to be considered particular-
out the entire training programme (involving
ly relevant to examinations.
independent planning, implementation and
monitoring) are formulated under this head-
The failure to state environmental training
ing. The following learning objectives
are in-
objectives in concrete terms, their lack of
cluded in the training of industrial mechanics:
precision as to time, and the absence of
ex-
"to know the principal regulations applying
amination questions on this subject mean that,
to the enterprise providing the training,
in practice, training personnel in on-the-job
concerning prevention of gas emissions,
training regard environment protection
as a
prevention of water and air pollution,
"second-class subject" compared with the tech-
nical training objectives to be attained within
to know job-related sources of pollution
the prescribed time limits.11
and help to reduce them,
to know the types of energy used in the
In practice, the vague regulations thus
enterprise providing the training and to in-
prove to be an obstacle to the integration of
dicate possibilities for a rational use of
ener-
environmental protection
into vocational
gy within the job-related field of influence
training. In view of this situation the Central
and observation".9
Committee of the Federal Insitute for Voca-
tional 'Raining, in its recommendations of 1
This wording, with slight variations, is to be
February 1991, advocated a job-specific
ap-
found in the regulations for other industrial
proach to environmental protection in
voca-
metal and electrical engineering occupations,
tional training regulations.
'a
The environmen-
though, in the latter category, there is
no men-
tal relevance of the occupation is in future
to
tion of knowledge of statutory regulations.19
be presented as a separate basic element under
the heading "Environmental Protection". Fur-
These relatively general requirenients find
thermore, the list of technical skills and
ap-
concrete expression as to time -and content,
titudes is to be extended to include "a list of
only rarely, if at all, in vocational training
environmental skills to be taught in
an in-
regulations. On We other hand, a number of
tegrated manner". It is hoped that, if these
environment-related issues are implied, i.e. not
recommendations are followed, environmen-
tal training objectives will, in future, be catered
case, the trainees themselves have chosen a
fot systematically, rather than incidentally, in
problem specific to the enterprise as a point of
training practice and will be
vocational
departure for a training project, with which the
upgraded in relation to technical and economic
trainees hope to contribute to environment
subjects.
protection in the enterprise, in the second ex-
ample it is a question of the correlation be-
There are no reliable data available on the
tween training and production, or pro-
latest developments in the integration of
en-
duction-related training. In the third case it is
vironmental training in on-the-job training.
the philosophy of the enterprise that becomes
Mutz13 reports
on an admittedly not repre-
apparent in the training project, which other-
sentative survey conducted by the German In-
wise remains limited to the training workshop.
dustrial 'Raining Committee on about 1000
commercial and technical training instructors
1. Environmental training at Asea
from large concerns in industry, crafts, the
Brown Boyer! AG, Mannheim
wholesale and retail trades, banks, insurance
companies and other service sectors, which
a. The enterprise
revealed that environmental protection was
dealt with in over 50 per cent of technical and
Asea Brown Boveri AG (ABB) is a group
over 33 per cent of commercial training firms.
of companies operating worldwide in the field
According to other findings, 80 per cent of
of electrical engineering, communications and
technical and 90 per cent of commercial train-
environmental technology, with its head office
ing instructors took the view that environmen-
in Zurich. The group as a whole has about
tal
protection would take on increasing
215,000 employees. Some 41,500 of these are
importance both in basic and in further train-
in Germany, working in 50 production centres
ing.
and servicing firms.
Approximately 2,300 trainees are trained
in about 50 training courses in 42 training
B. Case examples
centres. Most of this training is in the new
industrial metal and electrical engineering
oc-
cupations, which account for about one-third
At present, we know of relatively few
ex-
of all trainees (figures at 31.12.1991). The
amples of cases where environmental subjects
have been integrated into vocational train-
remainder are trained in commercial and other
occupations.
ing.14 This section of the
report will describe
examples of such integration in which
com-
'Raining in the reclassified metal and
pletely different approaches have been used.
electrical engineering occupations is provided
using a special system15 of integrated torts
Among the features that they hold in
com-
mon are: the fact that environmental subjects
designed to impart key skilled qualifications in
are taught integratively, i.e. as a component of
vocational training. In addition to the so-called
existing disciplines in specialised technical
core skills of "independent action", "flexibility",
"willingness to learn and learning capacity",
training. The themes are further consolidated
as to content in the parallel training provided
"creativity", "ability to work in a team" and
in the factory or firm. From the methodological
"responsibility sharing", the system also in-
point of view, the training centres on initiative-
cludes environment protection as
an important
promoting processes. A correlation is also
training objective: "Another major objective of
es-
our training is to instil behaviour patterns
tablished with the training firm, to
a greater or
lesser extent.
based on energy and environment
awareness .
both at the workplace and in private life."16
These two latter aspects can also be seen
as differentiating features. Whereas in the first
6