all projects

A more sustainable
working environment

Client

Zukunft - Umwelt - Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH

Year

2024


From renewable energies to recycling to regionality: there are many levers for improving sustainability. At its centre, however, are people. It is the people who will be required to have the necessary skills and willingness to operate these levers – that means in their working life, too. This is where the BBNE funding programme („Berufsbildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung befördern. Über grüne Schlüsselkompetenzen zu klima- und ressourcenschonendem Handeln im Beruf“, EN: “Promoting career training for sustainable development. From green key skills to climate and resource saving action at work”) comes in.

Prognos assessed the funding programme that has been running since 2022 on behalf of the Federal Ministry, represented by the Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft gGmbH (ZUG). The goal was to derive action recommendations for policy and business, such as sustainable development training, and to firmly embed them in business and the working environment.

Stimulus for a more sustainable professional environment

The funding programme comprised 14 projects in the first funding period (2015-2018) and 13 projects in the second round of funding (2019-2022) in two action fields: Services for extra-curricular career orientation and for trade comprehensive cooperation in construction and renovation in the context of the BBNE.

Here are the results of the evaluation:

  • Under the supervision of the BBNE competence canon, the funding has resulted in diverse new concepts for extra-curricular career orientation and for apprenticeships and further training. 
  • The programme was able to successfully reach the target group (adolescent, young adults, apprentices and trainees) despite the covid pandemic, above all, via social networks and multipliers.
  • The selected methods contributed to raising awareness and the development of skills for those who took part. Practical testing, peer-based learning and the integrated transmission of sustainability as a cross-sectional topic, in particular, showed impact.
  • The organisations involved onboarded numerous ideas and results from the programme in order to make their way of working more sustainable. 
  • The products that emerged from the projects are available for wider diffusion. The continued use and further knowledge transfer beyond the projects was only partially possible.
  • For a broader impact to be possible, the BBNE would need further integration into vocational orientation or apprenticeships and further training and to be made a more regular part of activities.

Our approach

In order to examine the targets achieved and impacts of the BBNE funding programme, we compared the assumed impact with empirical results in a theory-based approach.

Our methods

  • Data and document analysis 
  • Interviews with project participants and experts from politics, business and practice
  • Validation workshops to discuss the recommendations for action

Links and downloads

Final report (PDF in German, BMUV website)

An overview of the evaluation (PDF in German, BMUV website)

Project team: Susanne Heinzelmann, Julian Lenz, Helga Orozco Klaß, Maria Villamayor i Villar 

Latest update: 13.02.2024

Do you have questions?

Your contact at Prognos

Julian Lenz

Project Manager

View profile

Susanne Heinzelmann

Partner, Head of Education & Employment

View profile

Mehr Studien & Projekte zu diesem Thema

More studies & projects on this topic

Evaluation of the Bildungsketten Initiative

ongoing
| Project

The Bildungsketten Initiative’s goal is to support coordinated action by the Federal and State governments at the most important interfaces of the educational process. Prognos evaluates the initiative on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Career orientation for immigrants

2024
| Project

The transition into the job market often represents a greater challenge for immigrants. We evaluated a subsidised programme that supports them in meeting this challenge on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Evaluation of the Kultusministerkonferenz

2023
| Project

Prognos analysed tasks, structures and processes on behalf of the Kultusministerkonferenz – the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). The evaluation recommended the fundamental development of the KMK.

No generational conflict: Young and old are primarily looking for security.

2022
| Project

Study compares “boomers” and Generation Z: high need for security for young and old alike.

Rhineland-Palatinate Transformation Agency

ongoing
| Project

The Transformation Agency serves as a signpost for the changing world of work. Prognos puts this into action on behalf of the Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitisation.

Careers guidance evaluation

2021
| Project

What makes good careers guidance? Prognos evaluated careers guidance measures in Brandenburg over three years.

Digital Higher Education

ongoing
| Project

Prognos AG has been evaluating the BMBF's funding activities in the research field of "Digital Higher Education" since the end of 2020.

Das Bildungsgrundeinkommen – ein Instrument der Weiterbildungsfinanzierung

2021
| Project

Das Zentrum Liberale Moderne macht einen Vorschlag, die Weiterbildungsfinanzierung auf neue Grundlagen zu stellen. Prognos hat die Kosten des neuen Instrumentes in einer Studie abgeschätzt.

Benefits & effects of COST for Germany

2019
| Project

COST promotes networking activities. An important effect of COST: the cooperation and harmonisation of European research.

Gradual increase of the R&D R&D ratio up to 3.5% of GDP

2019
| Project

On behalf of the BMBF, Prognos calculated, among other things, the macroeconomic effects of higher spending on research and development.

About us

Prognos – Providing Orientation.

Prognos is one of the oldest economic research centres in Europe. Founded at the University of Basel, Prognos experts have been conducting research for a wide range of clients from the public and private sectors since 1959 – politically independent, scientifically sound.

Learn more