Sustainable Development – the role of higher education EAUC conference 31 March 2008 Steve Egan

Higher Education’s contribution Role as educators Generation and transfer of knowledge Leadership of, and influence on, local, national and international networks Business strategy and operations.

Leitch Leitch Review of Skills 2006 Recognised HE as a key contributor to the challenge of ensuring that the UK is a world leader in skills by Leitch Implementation Plan ‘it is imperative that everyone in this country develops the skills of sustainable living and working. That means placing sustainable development at the heart of skills provision, ensuring that it is a fundamental goal of our economic and social progress.’

What are skills for sustainability? Link to employability? What are the ways in which partners can work together? Another agenda in an already overcrowded curriculum? How can the existing curriculum be used to support SD e.g. work placement? What can we as a sector do to effectively harness and increase drivers? Challenges

Students Professional bodies Targets and legislation Employers Sector Skills Councils United Nations Funding Councils Drivers

Employer engagement Higher Education Innovation Fund – Carbon Connections - UEA – UrbanBuzz: Building Sustainable Communities – UCL and UEL Lifelong Learning Networks CETLs Pilot projects

What are employers looking for? Interpersonal skills Team working Problem solving Communicator Flexibility Commitment Networking Proactivity Motivation Technical skills Independent working Planning

Business Barometer Carbon footprint Keeping investors happy Increasing market share Employee retention Social responsibility Product/service development Customer relations Business performance SME Mid Caps FTSE % Chart source: Carbon Trust Business barometer Oct ‘07

Sustainability Skills Matrix for the built environment Charts the key functional players Identifies high level competences Map existing competences and identify skills gaps Measure industry progress Assist future joint working Sector Skills Councils

Decade for ESD ( ) to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. Regional Centres of Expertise Opportunities for HEIs to connect locally East Midlands – first RCE in the UK United Nations

Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) – C-SCAIPE - Kingston University – Centre for Sustainable Futures - University of Plymouth Higher Education Academy Facilitate collaborative working Senior management commitment HEFCE’s role

Revolving green fund Strategic review – Great deal has been done – diversity of approaches – Momentum for change needs to continue and increase 2008 sustainable development action plan – Consultation summer 2008 HEFCE’s role

Further information Steve Egan