Adapting and Installing an international vocational Training for Renewable Energies

Status
completed
100%
City

Berlin

Main actors

City Government, Supranational / Intergovernmental Institutions, Research Institutes / Universities

Project area

Whole City/Administrative Region

Duration

2009 - 2011

Berlin has developed a programme to encourage young people who are disengaging from the formal education system to enter vocational training in green and sustainable technologies.

The Adapting and Installing Vocational Training for Renewal Energy (AIRE) network provides an opportunity to 15 year old secondary school students in deprived city districts to build a small remote controlled solar model car. Finished models are showcased at local and international parades where the students deliver presentations on how the models were created.

The training aims at preventing school dropout and making students develop personal and social skills.

The objective of the program is also to encourage young people to pursue further vocational training in green technologies. Some early beneficiaries have already graduated with a Master of Science degree and now work in positions of responsibility at solar or wind energy companies.

Originally published by EUROCITIES, the network of 130 European cities - PDF: http://nws.eurocities.eu/MediaShell/media/353-green-web_final.pdf

Sustainable Development Goals

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allEnsure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allPromote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allReduce inequality within and among countriesMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainablePromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
City
Berlin, Germany
Size and population development
In 2019, the municipality of Berlin had a population of 3,669,491 inhabitants, making it the most populous city in the European Union (EU). The larger metropolitan area has about 5 million inhabitants.
Population composition
According to estimations, about one third of Berlin’s population was foreign born or has a migratory background. These inhabitants originate from other parts of the EU—such as Poland, Italy or Bulgaria—as well as from countries outside of the EU, such as Syria, Vietnam or the United States of America. The largest non-native population comes from Turkey: In 2019, more than 107,000 Turkish nationals were registered as inhabitants of Berlin.
Main functions
Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. As a city-state it is also one of the country’s 16 Länder, as the federal states are called in Germany. Situated approximately 112 miles (180 km) south of the Baltic Sea, the city lies in the wide glacial valley of the Spree River, which runs through Berlin’s centre. The city extends over an area of 891.7 square kilometres and stands at an average altitude of 34 meters above sea level. After the reunification of Germany and East and West Berlin in 1990, the unified Berlin was re-established as the country’s capital (replacing Bonn, the former capital of West Germany). In 1999, large parts of the Federal Government and the German Bundestag finally moved back to Berlin. Berlin is a city of great historical significance, which becomes evident considering the amount of historical landmarks that visualize the city’s history. Some of the most important landmarks include the Brandenburg Gate (built in 1793), the Reichstag Building (which dates to 1884), remnants of the Berlin Wall (taken down on the 9th of November 1989) or the Holocaust memorial (inaugurated in 2003). Berlin is also a famous cultural hub, known for its world-class museums, theatres, operas and concert halls as well as its vibrant club scene and street art. Finally, the Brain City Berlin is a leading location for science and research. It is home to a number of prestigious universities such as the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, with more than 35,000 students each as well as renowned research institutions and think tanks.
Main industries / business
As the fourth largest economy of the world, Germany has a wide array of prestigious industries. Berlin is home to a diverse mix of economic activities: state-owned enterprises, creative industries, automotive manufacturers, (digital) media corporations, high-tech and telecommunication companies as well as multiple digital pioneers that flourish in the city’s vibrant start-up scene. Tourism is constantly growing and brings about 14 million visitors (2019) to the city every year.
Sources for city budget
Berlin draws its budget for public expenditure largely from taxes, federal transfers, fees, fines and operating revenues. It is spent not only to provide high quality public services, but also to boost the city’s private sector, civil society engagement and cultural life.
Political structure
The city-state Berlin is governed by the Berlin Senate, which is comprised of 10 senators, and the Governing Mayor. As the capital of Germany, Berlin hosts the Bundesregierung (federal government), the Bundestag (federal parliament) and the Bundesrat (the parliamentary chamber of the 16 Länder). Each of the 16 Länder has a representation in Berlin. On many political issues, the Länder have co-legislative powers vis-à-vis the Federal government. Moreover, Berlin hosts embassies from more than 120 countries from around the world.
Administrative structure
Berlin is administrated by the Senate and its 12 districts or boroughs (Bezirke). The Senate is the city’s central administration, in charge of city planning, public policy, and the regulation of public and private spheres. The district administrations have some decentralized public functions, with reasonable differences between the various localities.
Website
http://www.berlin.de

A high percentage of young people in Berlin drop out of the education system: around 8% from high school and 30% from vocational training. A lack of goals and a sense of having no future can have serious social consequences for young people including violence or criminal behaviour. Preventing school dropout is very important in securing a future of these young people and preventing problems for wider society. It can be very difficult to successfully reintegrate them into the education system since many of them live in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and experience various problems, for example drug and alcohol abuse, social difficulties, low confidence, low personal management skills or poor parenting at home. 

The Adapting and Installing Vocational Training for Renewal Energy (AIRE) network provides an opportunity to 15 year old secondary school students in deprived city districts to build a small remote controlled solar model car. The project is aimed at young people who have dropped out of school or are at risk of dropping out, pupils with behavioural difficulties and young people with sensory disabilities. A hands on, innovative and fun approach is taken to train and inspire the students and help them develop a range of technical skills.

The project design also helps the students develop personal and social skills such as time keeping, perseverance, public speaking and team work. To give them a sense of achievement, finished models are showcased at local and international parades where the students deliver presentations on how the models were created. The project also aims to encourage young people to pursue a career in the green energy sector. Participating in the project counts as part of a prevocational qualification required to enter vocational courses in Germany. Learning outcomes of the project include:

  • technical knowledge on  renewable energy, electricity, gearing, motors, batteries, radio frequency and remote control
  • technical skills (e.g. using tools, making electrical connections, taking measurements, analysing data and making adjustments based on results)
  • health and safety
  • communication and social skills

At the end of the project, participants obtain an internationally recognised European Qualification Framework (EQF) level 2 certificate.

The current edition of the transnational ‘AIRE EQF2 for ALL’ receives a total of €110,000 in funding from the EU. The city of Berlin receives €18,000 for this two-year project through the Leonardo da Vinci programme.

To support the teachers involved in the project, the city recognises the hours they work on the project as part of their ordinary weekly teaching hours.

To date six schools in Berlin have participated in the AIRE project and it has helped reintegrate young people into society and the education system. It also enhances the students’ awareness of environmental issues and of the vocational training and job opportunities available in the growing field of renewable energies.

The playful and innovative approach has been met with great enthusiasm among both students and teachers, and the learning outcomes surpassed expectations. The young people become more confident, motivated and ready to start further vocational training in green technologies. They increase their ability to concentrate on short to mid-term projects and planning, reflect on their own work, and function as part of a team.

The AIRE project started as a local initiative in 2001. Some of the early beneficiaries went on to complete an officially recognised three year vocational training while others have gone on to University of Applied Sciences. Some early beneficiaries have already graduated with a Master of Science degree and now work in positions of responsibility at solar or wind energy companies. 

The main challenge of this project was financing the materials for the solar cars, travel expenses for the students and in case of the young people with disabilities, for their carers. These challenges were partly overcome by obtaining EU funding.

The project coordinators are now looking into new sources of finance to allow more young people to participate.

In Green Jobs for social inclusion (see references), EUROCITIES identifies three main factors that contribute to the success of these city initiatives to create green jobs for social inclusion at the local level.

They are:

1. Combining demand and supply side interventions:  an intervention does not solely focus on developing people’s competences, skills and motivation (supply side intervention) but also aims to create a tangible route into the labour market (demand side intervention).

On the demand side, the programme's objective is to provide a ‘protected’ working environment with the view of supporting people to gain real work experience to enable them to compete in the mainstream labour market.

These demand side interventions are then complemented by well-matched activation and training measures (supply side interventions) helping people to gain specific skills and improve their chances of accessing the labour market.

2. Linking the interventions to local employment opportunities

The second success factor is the strong link between the programmes and local employment opportunities. Cities as the level of government closest to the people have an in-depth knowledge of their local labour markets. They can design programmes in line with local economic demand and prepare people for jobs that are available locally. The effectiveness of the demand and supply interventions is made stronger when they are grounded in local businesses and job market needs.

3. Tailoring activation measures to the specific needs of people

The third success factor of the programmes is linking the activation measures to the specific needs of the target groups.

For local authorities, programmes that combine greening and social inclusion bring added value, particularly during periods of budgetary constraint and growing demand for services. Integrated programmes that address several objectives with one investment bring efficiency to local interventions. Given the longer term perspective of the sector, linking job seekers to local jobs in the green economy should continue to bring results as the sector is set to grow.

The initiative is part of a European ‘AIRE EQF2 for ALL’ project, which takes place in a number of European countries and is adapted from country to country. For example in France the method is used for adults from a migrant background to increase language competences and they build a full sized car. In Bulgaria and Denmark, the project is used for vocational orientation in secondary schools. 

More information on the success factors: http://nws.eurocities.eu/MediaShell/media/green_jobs_for_social_inclusion_intro_FINAL.pdf

"Local strategies to implement national energy efficiency schemes", in Green Jobs for social inclusion, EUROCITIES, June 2015, 16-17.

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Berlin, Germany

Dorlies Radike-Thiel

Individual | EU Advisor Vocational Training

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