NaBiKo

The NaBiko project aims to develop and test new educational concepts in order to promote the sustainable qualification of employees and trainees in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the northern Ruhr area. Particularly in the northern Ruhr region, companies in the mining and coal industries have played a central role in developing a skilled workforce that now faces significant challenges in the context of the coal phase-out in Germany. For this reason, the project specifically supports SMEs in this region in structurally embedding Vocational Education for Sustainable Development (abbreviated BBNE, per its German name) into their daily business operations. The focus lies on the region’s key industry sectors: healthcare and nursing, as well as chemical recycling.

Methodologically, the project follows a participatory approach that involves stakeholders from the trainee level all the way up to management. Based on an assessment of the current situation and a gap analysis, the project team develops practical training programmes that are aligned with the modern training standards "Environment and Sustainability" and will be tested in practice with approximately 150 participants.

The Wuppertal Institute is specifically responsible for providing the scientific foundation, analysing the baseline situation, and conducting formative evaluation. In doing so, the researchers contribute their expertise in scientific concept development and utilise the "Open Didactic Exploration" educational concept developed at the institute. The scientific support ensures that the programmes specifically strengthen key competencies such as anticipatory and responsibility competencies.

The project is directly linked to the state strategy "Education for Sustainable Development – ESD in NRW 2030" and is funded by the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia in the context of the Just Transition Fund of the EU.