Embedding green competencies in technical and vocational education as a pathway to sustainable development and climate-resilient workforce formation in Nigeria
The increasing threats of climate change, environmental degradation, and rising unemployment have heightened the need for education systems that can develop a workforce equipped with sustainability-oriented competencies. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has been identified as a strategic platform for equipping learners with practical skills required for sustainable development and climate-resilient workforce formation. However, the integration of green competencies within TVET programmes in Nigeria remains inadequate and inconsistent. This study explored the embedding of green competencies in TVET as a pathway to sustainable development and climate-resilient workforce formation in Nigeria. The study adopted a qualitative research design using a structured interview schedule administered primarily through online platforms. A purposive sample of 55 lecturers was drawn from six universities, one from each geopolitical zone in Nigeria, across key TVET programme areas. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that essential green competencies include environmental management, sustainable production practices, renewable energy, waste management, and climate adaptation skills. The integration of these competencies was found to be fragmented and largely dependent on individual lecturers rather than institutional frameworks. Key challenges include outdated curricula, inadequate instructional resources, limited lecturer capacity, weak policy support, and poor industry collaboration. The study concludes that embedding green competencies in TVET is critical for developing a climate-resilient workforce. It recommends curriculum reform, capacity building for educators, improved funding, and stronger policy and industry support to enhance sustainability integration in Nigerian TVET systems.
Environmentally literate, morally responsible, and skilled workers who can contribute to low-carbon development. Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is crucial for equipping graduates for burgeoning green industries. However, the incorporation of green skills into higher-education TVET curricula is inconsistent and inadequately theorized. This study examines the systematic integration of green skills—encompassing the knowledge, competencies, values, and ethical dispositions necessary for operating within sustainable production systems—into the Malaysian TVET curriculum to promote sustainability in the education sector. Rooted in Ecological Modernization Theory and utilizing an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, this study implements (a) documentary analysis of policy and accreditation frameworks, (b) expert consensus building via the Delphi technique, and (c) institutional case-based validation through survey and thematic analysis. The findings identified five fundamental domains of green skills: knowledge and comprehension, cognitive abilities, practical work competencies, personal and entrepreneurial skills, and ethics and professionalism. Quantitative validation demonstrated strong agreement among experts (threshold < 0.20; consensus > 75%), while institutional evidence revealed that certain pedagogical practices and curriculum structures were already in use in some institutions. The results led to the creation of a Green Skills Integration Framework that strategically aligns the curriculum, teaching methods, and testing with sustainability goals. This study offers policy recommendations for reforming accreditation, training lecturers, and implementing greening strategies throughout the institution. By incorporatchniing technical responsibility into tewithcal proficiency, TVET graduates may be prepared not only for employment but also for spreading sustainable transformation across various industrial sectors.
Nooriza Ibrahim, Z. A. Rahim, Muhammad Saqib Iqbal et al.· Aposta: Revista de Ciencias...· 1 citation
This systematic review examines workforce development challenges linked to the transition towards sustainable built environments. The review focuses on skills gaps, training deficiencies, and strategic pathways in the green construction industry, where sustainability targets increasingly require competencies in energy efficiency, smart building systems, renewable energy integration, digital construction and green certification. A structured literature search was conducted across academic databases, government sources, and industry repositories to identify publications from 2022 to 2025. Thirty-four sources were selected using defined inclusion criteria and analysed thematically in relation to workforce shortages, competency requirements, training approaches, access barriers and policy responses. The synthesis indicates that the development of the green construction workforce is constrained by both quantitative labour shortages and qualitative skills gaps. The most prominent gaps relate to system integration, energy performance assessment, green building certification, digital construction technologies and renewable energy systems. Training barriers include cost, geographical inequality, fragmented curricula and limited institutional capacity to update programmes in response to technological change. Evidence from the reviewed literature suggests that coordinated action is required across vocational education, specialist certification, industry-academia partnerships, digital and immersive training approaches, continuous professional development, and inclusive recruitment. The review concludes that sustainable built-environment delivery depends on integrated workforce planning that links policy requirements, training systems, and industry demand.
Mariam Masud Oniye, M. Usman· Journal of Geography Environ...· 0 citations
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become a strategic priority for higher education institutions seeking to equip graduates with the knowledge, skills, and values required to address increasingly complex environmental, social, and economic challenges. In Small Island Developing States (SIDS) such as Vanuatu, where communities are highly vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards, higher education plays a critical role in developing national resilience and supporting sustainable development. Despite growing policy commitments to sustainability, little empirical evidence exists regarding the readiness of higher education lecturers to integrate ESD into their teaching. This study was conducted to investigate lecturers' readiness to integrate Education for Sustainable Development into higher education in Vanuatu. The study adopted an exploratory mixed-methods design using a structured questionnaire comprising Likert-scale and open-ended questions. Invitations were sent to lecturers across three higher education institutions; responses were received from the National University of Vanuatu (NUV), the Vanuatu Agriculture College (VAC), and the University of the South Pacific (USP) - Vanuatu Campus. The final sample comprised seventeen lecturers. The data were analysed quantitative data using descriptive statistics and Cronbach's alpha for reliability, while the study examined qualitative responses through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that lecturers generally recognise the importance of ESD and demonstrate positive attitudes towards embedding sustainability within higher education curricula. Participants acknowledged the relevance of sustainability across disciplines and expressed willingness to incorporate ESD principles into their teaching. However, the study found that readiness was constrained by several interrelated challenges, including limited professional development opportunities, insufficient teaching resources, curriculum rigidity, competing academic priorities, and inconsistent institutional support. Respondents also highlighted the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge (kastom), community engagement, and locally relevant sustainability issues into curriculum design, reflecting the unique environmental and cultural context of Vanuatu. The study concludes that strengthening lecturer readiness requires coordinated institutional leadership, continuous professional learning, curriculum reform, and enhanced investment in sustainability education. By providing one of the first empirical investigations of lecturer readiness for ESD in Vanuatu's higher education sector, this research contributes context-specific evidence to the growing body of literature on sustainability education in Small Island Developing States and offers practical recommendations for higher education institutions seeking to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.
Kushima Authelsingh· International Journal of Rec...· 0 citations
Abstract
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) plays a critical role in workforce development. However, the global transition toward sustainability requires the integration of green competencies into vocational curricula. This study employed a randomized controlled trial (RCT) within a mixed-methods framework to examine the impact of sustainability-integrated instruction on students’ learning outcomes in five Lagos State technical colleges. A total of 200 students were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 100) and control (n = 100) groups, with 187 participants retained for final analysis following attrition. The intervention, implemented over a 12-week instructional period, introduced modules on renewable energy, waste management, and environmental ethics. Quantitative data were analysed using ANCOVA and MANOVA to assess differences in sustainability knowledge, technical skills, and attitudes, while qualitative data from focus groups were thematically analysed. Results revealed significant improvements in sustainability knowledge (F(1,184) = 18.45, p < .001, η² = .12) and technical skills (F(1,184) = 11.92, p = .001, η² = .09) among the experimental group. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in attitudinal disposition or collaborative skills (p > .05). Qualitative findings highlighted increased learner engagement but identified barriers including limited infrastructure, rigid curricula, and insufficient teacher preparedness. The study provides robust short-term causal evidence that sustainability integration enhances cognitive and technical outcomes in TVET, while underscoring the need for systemic reforms to achieve deeper attitudinal transformation. The findings provide evidence for a scalable framework for greening TVET systems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Abiola Bello, A.D. Fasosin, Kehinde Sowunmi et al.· Nigerian Journal of Technica...· 0 citations
The hospitality and tourism industry is undergoing rapid transformation, requiring a workforce equipped with digital, sustainable, and competency-based skills. Competency-based vocational education and training (CBT-VET) has become central to preparing graduates for evolving industry demands, yet challenges persist in aligning training with technological innovation and sustainability imperatives. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of 27 peer-reviewed articles published between 2022 and 2024, retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The review adheres to the PRISMA protocol to ensure transparency in the identification, screening, and synthesis of relevant studies. The findings are classified into four thematic domains: workforce competency development, digital transformation in training, policy frameworks in vocational education, and sustainability integration. The analysis reveals that while CBT-VET significantly enhances employability and job readiness, the integration of digital tools, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and blockchain, remains uneven. Moreover, sustainability-oriented education is still emerging, and policy inconsistencies across regions limit the standardization of training models. Industry-academic collaboration is also fragmented, affecting the delivery of relevant and adaptable skill sets. This review presents a structured synthesis of recent CBT-VET developments in hospitality and tourism, with a focus on the intersection of digital and sustainability competencies. It offers practical implications for educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to modernize training curricula and institutional strategies. Future research should focus on empirical validation and comparative case studies to assess the real-world impact of digitally enabled, sustainable, and competency-based training approaches.
Joesri Mohamad Saber, Kardina Kamaruddin, Razlan Adli Zain et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This study examined sustainability education practices and their contribution to national
development in Nigeria. In recent years, the role of education in promoting sustainable
development has gained global recognition, particularly in addressing pressing socio-economic
and environmental challenges. The study explored key sustainability education practices such as
the integration of environmental education into school curricula, promotion of school-based
agricultural projects, community-based sustainability outreach, adoption of green technologies in
schools, and teacher training in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Drawing on
relevant literature and theoretical frameworks, the study underscored how these practices equip
learners with the skills, values, and knowledge necessary to become environmentally conscious,
socially responsible, and economically productive citizens. Findings revealed that when effectively
implemented, sustainability education practices promote food security, youth entrepreneurship,
environmental stewardship, and civic engagement—key pillars of national development. However,
challenges such as inadequate teacher capacity, insufficient funding, limited policy enforcement,
and weak community participation hinder the full integration of sustainability education across
all levels of the Nigerian education system. The study concluded that sustainability education is a
critical driver for Nigeria’s socio-economic growth and environmental sustainability. Suggestions
were made for curriculum reform, enhanced teacher training, school-community partnerships,
and increased investment in green infrastructure and resources. It is hoped that with coordinated
efforts from government, educators, and stakeholders, sustainability education will be fully
mainstreamed to foster national development.
C. U. Osuji· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOC...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
