Progression to HE & Employability

Dr. Richard Bull

Structure• A re-envisioning: What do we mean by

Sustainability/Green economy?• What skills are needed? • What is Higher Education doing?• What can we do . . .

http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/pages/the_principles.html

The Green Economy (1)

The Green Economy (2)Developing the leadership skills we need to transition to sustainable economy is both urgent and critical to the future economic success – as well as our social and environmental well-being:

3 challenges:. . . . – Envisioning how a sustainable economy

might look– Connecting with the commercial benefits of

sustainability– Grounding solutions in day to day reality

(BITC 2010)

The Green Economy (3)

“The transition to a green economy requires a workforce with the right skills. This includes not only skills in the low carbon and environmental goods and services sector, but also those needed to help all businesses use natural resources efficiently and sustainably and to be resilient to climate change.”

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/ 2011

The Green Economy (4)

A prophetic imagination?

• How do we live differently?• How do we build things

differently?• How do we work differently?• How do we change?

Where is HE at?De Montfort University (DMU)

• Based in Leicester with city centre campus

• Approximately 20,000 students and 3000 staff

• Includes Institute of Energy & Sustainable Development

• Sustainable Development Task Force chaired by Pro VC

Our commitment to sustainability

We will make a significant contribution to global efforts to achieve environmental sustainability.

Policy context

• HEFCE Sustainable Development in Higher Education (2005)• Climate Change Act 2008• Carbon reduction targets enshrined in law

• a legally binding target of at least an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050

• reduction in emissions of at least 34% by 2020. Both targets are against a 1990 baseline

• HEFCE update Strategic Statement on SD in HE 2009• BIS Carbon Reduction Delivery Plan 2010• Carbon reduction target and strategy for higher education in England 2

010 • reduction scope 1 and 2 emissions of 34 per cent by 2020 and • 80 per cent by 2050 against a 1990 baseline

DMU carbon management

= 70%

Curriculum

Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy 2012- 2015

Embedding education for sustainable development in the curriculum.De Montfort University aims to develop staff and students to become responsible ‘global’ citizens in the face of the environmental challenges ahead of them. We also acknowledge the importance of developing and/or embedding an awareness of environmental sustainability in the curriculum in order to encourage respect for the future, energy awareness and environmental good practice. We recognise that this will be achieved in a variety of ways and at a range of different levels of engagement from bespoke programmes of study to specific modules, or by reference to sustainability issues in the existing curriculum and its associated resources.

BSc Energy & Sustainability Management

• Innovative design encompassing core modules from Business & Law alongside newly commissioned ones from the Institute of Energy & Sustainable Development including:– Sustainable development– Energy and the built environment– Near zero emissions technology– Energy economics– Placement and dissertation opportunities

• Validated 2012 for a Sept 2013 intake

Developing core graduate skills

• Practical and tangible solutions to climate change and sustainability alongside critical thinking

• Leadership and change management skills• Encompasses a range of disciplines and blur the boundaries

between physical and social sciences, e.g. energy analysis techniques, carbon footprinting, strategy development and environmental psychology

To discuss & imagine!How do we do this?

• What skills do we think are needed?• What are people already doing?• What are the opportunities for where we are to

offer these skills? Do we already? (opportunity to share knowledge), e.g new programmes/modules – inter-faculty & cross faculty?

• Partnership opportunities?

questionsPlease contact

Dr Richard Bullrbull@dmu.ac.uk0116 207 8063

twitter: @richbull