Newsletter 5: The Coronavirus impact on climate actions and the NE(W)AVE efforts to support renewable energy sector

On 9 April 2020, the environment ministers of 13 EU Member States stressed that Europe must not forget about the persistent climate and ecological crisis when defining its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is clear that the coronavirus has had an impact on climate actions and the European Green Deal.

According to the 2050 long term strategy, the heart of the European Green Deal, by 2050 in EU’s economy resources will be sustainably managed, from raw materials to energy, water, air, land & soil. By that time, the EU should cut its emission to 80% below 90’s levels.

In this frame, the forecast is that over a million of new jobs will be created and new technical and soft skills especially in green sector will be redefined.

Although high-level education in this field is largely available, the labour market lacks medium-level and operational manpower. These jobs do not require academic training but solid technical skills.

In this context, the NE(W)AVE – reNEWable e-VEt learning project has supported continuous professional development of VET trainers, tutors and mentors through the acquisition of new or improved competences in terms of teaching/learning methods, tutoring and intercultural skills. With this aim, the project developed an E-Toolkit for teachers and trainers, an online tool based on new training materials that will help VET trainers modernise and diversify their educational offer related to the renewable energy sector.  This free tool, available online, promotes the methodology and contents developed by the project in a large scale using different tools (tutorial videos, interactive resources, etc.). Through the NE(W)AVE E-Toolkit, VET trainers will increase the awareness of the competences upgrading methods in VET, increase their interest in using e-learning approach and in the mobility opportunities promoted to VET Learners.

Over the course of the project implementation, the NE(W)AVE project acquired valuable input from VET stakeholders and key players in the renewable energy sector, which resulted in the NE(W)AVE Policy Recommendations. Considering that the transition towards green economy is both a challenge and a huge opportunity, this product aims at being an inspiration for local and regional stakeholders across the EU on how to enhance the transition of VET learning jobs to jobs in renewable energy and promote the collaboration between VET providers, companies and other relevant stakeholders.

All the project results will be soon presented at the NE(W)AVE Final Conference and at the local events which will be organized in all the project partners’ countries (Italy, Spain, Denmark, Greece and Austria) and which will host all the interested stakeholders, policy makers, companies and NGOs, VET trainers and learners, working in the renewable energy sector.

If you would like to learn more about the Final Conference and the local events of the NE(W)AVE project, please contact Simona Palumbo at simona.palumbo@cesie.org