Climate change affects everyone and the European Union has set important and forward-looking goals for the year 2030. Following the goals of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were defined by the UN. In addition to important issues such as poverty, human rights or gender equality, they also address problems that affect people around the globe – so not only #me – also #us as Europeans. Climate change and its effects also affect future generations on earth and their quality of life; the situation for the biodiversity on earth is also alarming, as countless animal and plant species are endangered and threatened with extinction if we do not face these more than worrying problems and implement sustainable and effective actions and countermeasures against them #now.
As Europe has set itself the ambitious goal of being the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, everyone must respond and help to ensure success. Raising people’s awareness on this important issue can be a success factor in achieving this goal. Under the 17 SDGs, countless actions are planned as preventive measures. As part of this, sustainability, climate change and environmental protection should be integrated into the curricula of all types of schools. It is, however, important to remember that for a holistic implementation for young people, it is not only the school systems that need to address and raise awareness about this important issue. Low-qualified young people in VET are left behind because their access is limited, as they may not have the knowledge on how to deal with this important issue, or have never learnt about long-term risks and their personal possibilities and own potential to change the future in a sustainable way, nor is it part of the curricula.
Addressing this target group in VET and involving VET staff, VET schools and external VET trainers from companies is one of the main goals of the #me#us#now project. By combining synergies, the group of low-qualified young people can consistently engage in all issue-related processes of society and efficiently and sustainably participate in a common value-based international exchange and effective countermeasures against the threat of climate change.
#me#us#now
