The PEARL project at https://esgforenterprise.eu is dedicated to changing how sustainability is seen in business and education. By building Environmental Social and Governance competences among small and medium sized enterprises and vocational education and training providers, PEARL supports organisations that want to integrate sustainable practices into everyday work. Austria offers a clear example of this ambition, as green skills are woven into vocational teaching and learning.
In the Styrian town of Kaindorf, the technical college HTL Kaindorf has become a reference point for climate conscious vocational training. Through its initiative called Energy Autarky 2025, the school is working towards producing renewable energy on campus that exceeds its use. Students take part in planning and installing photovoltaic panels, checking insulation and adjusting electrical systems to cut energy use. These projects are investments, so learners can see and measure the results of their work.
Teacher Michael Hackl, who coordinates the energy initiative, explains that the school does not only talk about sustainability in theory, but let’s students test solutions on buildings with constraints. In this way, technical skills are linked to responsibility for resources and long-term thinking about climate impact.
This practical learning is supported by national policy. The Austrian Ministry of Education has introduced a sustainability framework that encourages vocational schools to include topics such as circular economy, efficient use of energy and social responsibility across subject areas. According to CEDEFOP, more than 60 per cent of learners in Austrian vocational programmes now encounter green skills as part of their training, for example through energy projects, waste reduction tasks or environmental modules in technical courses.
The PEARL project builds on this type of experience. Through its ESG knowledge framework, modular learning materials and digital tools, including the ESG Risk Assessment App, PEARL offers concrete resources that help educators and enterprises introduce ESG themes in a structured and accessible way. Materials are designed so that teachers in fields from engineering to hospitality can adapt examples and activities for their learners.
Examples like HTL Kaindorf show that transformation begins in the workshop and the classroom. When young people see that their ideas can make equipment more efficient, buildings more comfortable and communities more resilient, they gain competence and confidence. By supporting educators and small and medium sized enterprises across Europe through https://esgforenterprise.eu, PEARL helps turn that potential into lasting change for a greener and more inclusive future.
Reference:
CEDEFOP, Green skills and environmental awareness in vocational education and training, Luxembourg, 2022.