SUSTAINABILITY
Improving the industries’ attention to environmental sustainability through targeted training packages
Project Description
Research current and emerging practices, Kaupapa Māori principles, and regulations relating to environmental sustainability, to identify and develop the skills training strategies required for the industry to help the transition to a thriving, climate-resilient Aotearoa.
Benefit to Construction and Infrastructure sector
Supporting the industry’s response to the increasing demand for environmentally sustainable practices by establishing how to incorporate sustainability principles into appropriate training products. Providing strategies to upskill the industry workforce to operate in accordance with sustainability principles and regulations will provide a positive return on investment and support national and international sustainability commitments.
By focusing on the four pathways of teaching, research, industry needs and an appreciation of legislative drivers, the Sustainability Project will support industry practitioners directly, and tertiary institutions, e.g. WDCs, NZIST, Wananga and PTEs to design, develop and deliver sustainability-embedded vocational and trade programmes for the sector.
The key purpose of this project is to explore how the construction and infrastructure industries’ attention to sustainability through sustainability-focused education and training could be developed. We will then develop a roadmap and assess the economic impact of adopting sustainable practices by preparing a return on investment model.
New Zealand has made a commitment to achieve, measure and report on the sustainability goals and targets detailed in the United Nations adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030). The UN goals, targets and indicators are relevant to both the construction and infrastructure and the tertiary education sectors, especially NZIST and its subsidiaries.
To reach the targets and transform the sector by 2030, a motivated, educated workforce and industry-wide practices are needed. The Sustainability Project will develop a comprehensive list of sustainability-related standards, review industries’ best practice, and listen to the voice of industry to record their perspectives.
These outputs and deliverables will enable education and training providers to upgrade or develop new training programmes and packages for the construction sector. The future workforce will be able to respond to the increasing demand for environmentally sustainable practices. Companies will be able to gradually adapt and transform their processes and activities in line with national and international standards and emerging best practices.
From an economic perspective, a fundamental economic analysis will be undertaken where the cost and impact of implementing sustainability-related standards and regulations is established alongside an analysis of the economic risk to industry of not implementing sustainability-related standards and regulations.
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