Project: Eco-Advantage

Raising awareness of climate change, practical responses to it, and developing related skills which will be increasingly needed in the future, is at the heart of the Eco-Advantage project. The project is a partnership between Medway, Reading and Basingstoke Councils and Cementaprise Training, supported by the ESF Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming programme (ITM).

It will develop, pilot and mainstream innovative Eco-Advantage short training programmes targeted at lower-skilled frontline staff and unemployed people, developing a practical understanding of the issues around climate change and giving them access to lower level 'green' skills to take to the workplace.

The project has a particular focus on the construction sector and engaging with local employers.

Project feature

Giving people an ‘eco’ advantage in the labour market.

The advantage in the ESF Eco-Advantage project is the exploitation of opportunities, which will emerge as we begin to seriously tackle climate change. The project is based on thinking ahead to how the labour market and operating environment for business is going to be changing, and working to help disadvantaged groups (low skilled, unemployed, volunteers), and local businesses, respond and benefit. The project's philosophy is about embracing these changes, and seeking to use them for the benefit of participants.

As well as developing and piloting generic awareness-raising courses, the partners have identified key sectors within their own localities and the project will pilot sector-specific units in construction, retail, and tourism and hospitality.

The Eco-Advantage project builds on the good practice and tools developed through the previous Equal funded projects of Cement, I-WORK and Prime Advantage. The project is based on a partnership of three local authorities: Medway, Reading, Basingstoke & Deane and a social enterprise Cementaprise. Focusing on four of the eight South East Diamonds for Investment and Growth areas - committed to realising their potential for sustainable economic and community growth in the South East, the partnership has identified sector-specific skills in the construction, hospitality and retail sectors as priorities within their own localities, and offers opportunities to support sustainable development strategies. For example, Reading has a large retail sector, where the issue of waste reduction is key.

Adopting a multifaceted approach, the project uses the climate change agenda as a spur to action:

• working with local businesses to promote the environmental agenda
• working with disadvantaged communities promoting environmental skills as a pathway into work
• providing low-skilled employees with training to improve their environmental skills and sustainable employment
• working with communities to promote environmental volunteering within community initiatives

Working with local businesses

To persuade businesses to prioritise environmental issues during a period of recession requires a shift in a mind set for some. Irene Heller, Principal ESF & Skills Development Manager, Medway Council and the project coordinator, feel that the key to successful engagement with small businesses is to highlight real cost savings through improving energy efficiency and reducing waste, all of which support their business competitiveness and long-term economic sustainability. One successful approach has been to fit a smart meter on their photocopier to calculate how much energy is lost through overnight 'stand-by' mode and applying a monetary value.

'We aim to help them to see that reducing their environmental impact will benefit their 'bottom line'. Giving them practical advice on saving money and where they can access grants. At the same time we will make them aware of the skills need, offer training to their staff but also make them more aware of these skills when hiring new staff in the future.'

Anne Pearce, European Policy Officer at Reading Borough Council, suggests that helping businesses achieve an eco-advantage will in the longer term give them a business benefit. For example, local government procurement policies currently require suppliers to have an equal opportunities policy; this could well extend to environmental policies sometime in the future. Working with small businesses to identify and deliver 'green' skills raises environmental awareness and reduces waste, and has the additional benefit of supporting the development of a greener supply chain amongst local enterprises. In the future, being able to demonstrate an environmental policy could mean the difference between obtaining a government contract or missing out. Supporting small businesses to engage with the environmental agenda will give them an advantage in the future.

'Councils will have to consider the environmental impact when contracting services e.g. the number of food miles when buying school meals etc. and it could well become practice to request contractors to have environmental policies as standard just as we currently do with equal opportunities policies.'

Training advisers work with local companies to identify future skills need, provide free training for their staff. They also  advice on accessing grants to develop their environmental policies which enable them to reduce their carbon footprint which reducing their costs and helping them prepare for future changes in legislation.

Working with disadvantaged communities

Parallel to the project's work with employers and local businesses, supporting them to gain an eco-advantage, is the promotion of green skills and employability through climate change industries. The project engages with disadvantaged sections of the community including offenders and ex-offenders to ensure they have the opportunities to access training that can give them an eco-advantage. The recession is creating a very competitive labour market, with skilled workers applying for jobs they would not normally consider and Anne believes that environmental qualifications at Levels 1 and 2 can open climate response industries to those without formal qualifications.

The project is working with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) to develop NVQ Level 1 and 2 equivalent units. These accredited units can be delivered within training programmes designed to raise literacy and numeracy levels.

'There are qualifications available at NVQ 4 and 5 but we found that there was a lack of units at Level 1 or 2. The Eco-Advantage project aims to provide this 'missing link' in qualifications and give lower-skilled participants a genuine advantage. After all, you don't need a have degree in environmental science to fit and read a smart meter!'

Cementaprise, a specialist provider with experience of working with offenders and ex-offenders, will deliver programmes in Maidstone, Rochester and Stamford Hill Prisons. At the time of the review (February 2010), two green awareness courses have been held. The awareness course piloted in Maidstone Prison was delivered to a group ranging from 17 to 24 years and it revealed that not everyone agrees with the need to reduce our impact on the climate. For some, this view was connected to their religious beliefs, while others just aren't convinced. The level of environmental awareness can vary widely amongst participant groups and programmes have to be tailored to take into consideration people's different perspectives.

A social incubation model is used to measure soft outcomes and help participants identify and tackle barriers to work in a supportive atmosphere. There are eleven elements to the model: challenging self-perception, motivation, valuing decisions, development of interpersonal skills, valuing oneself, coping strategies, respect for others, development of trust, development of social networks, engagement around common social interest groups, and community leadership; these encourage participants take a positive role in identifying and overcoming barriers to work.

'Social incubation is a short-term support process in a tolerant, flexible and friendly atmosphere that inspires hopes and success through mentoring person driven processes, cycles of support, valuing and respect of the individual in order to encourage and empower individuals as citizens in society. Social incubation measures are both person-centered and employment-focused, giving not only social but also economic value supporting the development of the Lisbon Treaty.' (Irene Heller)

The project has developed a diagnostic tool called 'the wheel of life' which tests attitudinal skills, life skills, transferable skills and personal growth. It identifies the individual's skills needs, including their level of environmental awareness. Managers, supervisors and individuals complete the tool and the data and can be collated across the business to give a whole organisation view. The tool is an online self assessment model; paper versions are also available. The wheel contains twenty questions and the responses are plotted on a wheel to give the starting point. This wheel can be accessed throughout the course and enables the participant to see their progress throughout the journey.

Environmental Awareness

The project sees the potential in linking community volunteering with environmental awareness-raising initiatives. For example community clean-up initiatives such as those organised within 'Thriving Neighbourhoods' can create a good level of awareness of the importance of protecting the environment. These initiatives attract volunteers who engage in activities which might be described as 'green' (primarily they haven't taken this interest beyond their 'hobby'). There are also a number of more therapeutic areas of volunteering such as gardening with mental health sufferers, and the project sees the potential in supporting sufferers to gain qualifications which will potentially move them into employment.

Transnationality

A Transnational Work Programme has been developed and communication has taken place with the Transnational Partners. The work programme will provide the opportunity to capture and monitor information, and this will be supported through minutes of meetings taking place, or study visit reports and a repository of tools, methodologies and good practice will be available through www.ecosapiens-ac.net

The first of the Transnational sharing of good practice and expertise events has taken place in Estonia.  The project was presented in four conferences that were held in four areas in Tallinn, Tartu, Parnu and Narva,which were attended by project partners, local participants, local authorities, local authority representatives and other government officials.

A visit has also been undertaken with Turku University of Sciences. The Finish partner has a number of projects that share common elements with the work of Eco Advantage in responding to the challenges of reducing carbon and taking the agenda forward with employers.

Mainstreaming

The project is actively engaged with the South East Diamonds Network. It has shared presentations with the whole group and influences policy through participation in the Ecological Footprint Policy Group, which is addressing climate change and achieving sustainable economic development within environmental limits, focused on the regional target to stabilise, then reduce, the South East's Ecological Footprint. The project lessons will be able to be disseminated.

A presentation to the Brussels DG Region Commission and to our own Brussels offices representing the South East region, where regional representatives attended has provided some additional mainstreaming activity.

An invitation from the Employment Week - The European Employment Forum to give a presentation on the project will provide additional mainstreaming opportunities.

Future Developments

A Sustainable Living handbook is being developed. There will be a study visit from the Estonian partners in July or August 2010.

There are also plans to develop e-learning units. It is hoped that ten modules will be accredited and delivered by the end of the project. The courses on offer will cover energy efficiency, water, waste, recycling and safer cleaning, and food topics. The number or participants recruited will largely be dependent on the employment opportunities in certain sectors that may determine the demand.

Contact details

Irene Heller, Project Manager
Medway Council
Gun Wharf, Dock Road, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TR

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