2025 - 2027
Climate Action Competence for Today and Tomorrow
Story
The Ventilation System That Didn’t Need to Be Replaced
As an aspiring ventilation designer, Lena was convinced that if a building no longer met energy efficiency standards, it needed a new system. As part of Skills for Future, she and her learning group were given an unusual assignment: For a school building in Zurich, the goal was not to plan a complete replacement, but rather to analyze and improve the existing ventilation system.
Where others would first think of replacement, the students had to take a closer look. Which components still work? Where do unnecessary losses occur? Which optimizations have the greatest impact?
Over the course of several weeks, the students developed concrete renovation proposals. In the process, they realized just how significant the impact of their profession is on climate protection. The newest solution isn’t always the most sustainable one. It’s often wiser to intelligently upgrade what already exists.
Today, Lena sees buildings in a whole new light. She knows that even during the planning phase, professionals can make a decisive contribution to saving energy and reducing emissions.
Skills for Future makes climate protection tangible for apprentices. They learn how they can be part of the solution in their future careers.
Images © Sebastian Eppler/myclimate
Partner
Description
The “skills for future” educational project, developed by myclimate, empowers students at Swiss vocational schools to integrate climate protection and sustainability into their daily professional lives in a practical way.
Interactive workshops, digital learning resources, and collaboration with teachers and companies impart job-specific environmental knowledge and highlight concrete ways to take action.
Approach
Skills for Future combines vocational training with concrete climate protection. Project-based and occupation-specific educational formats are aligned with curricula and teaching plans, allowing students to experience a sense of self-efficacy. Teachers are empowered as advocates, companies are actively involved, and digital learning systems are utilized to embed the program in the vocational training system for the long term.
Impact
In the 2024–25 project year, 2,440 students were reached directly and indirectly, and 67 teachers received continuing education. The high level of satisfaction and the climate protection projects implemented demonstrate the impact of the educational offerings. Award-winning projects by learners at Swiss Skills 2025 in Bern further increased visibility. By 2027, the program is set to be scaled up further, and climate protection expertise will be sustainably embedded in vocational edu-cation and training.
Vision
Promote effective climate protection through expanded skills and empower young professionals to take responsibility for a sustainable future.