Environmental Testing Laboratory operations have significant environmental impact. Experience shows in many cases that this impact could be reduced or avoided in cost-effective ways without compromising safety
and they can often be enhanced.
In the 7th Environment Action Programme, ‘Living well, within the limits of our planet’, the EU formulates an engaging vision of the future to 2050 which focuses on actions in three key areas:
- protecting the natural capital that supports economic prosperity and human well-being;
- stimulating resource-efficient, low-carbon economic and social development;
- safeguarding people from environmental health risks.
ECVET-LAB Project aims to contribute to the improvement of these three key areas by training Environmental Testing Laboratories staff so they can implement the best practices in their respective labs concerning:
- conserving natural resources: water, energy, raw materials, which are consumed in laboratory activities
- applying measures for improving the material resource efficiency and energy efficiency on equipment and lighting, as well as renewable energy
- protecting people from chemical or biological risks, by means of suitable wastewater pollution prevention and safe waste management
Most laboratories, especially smaller ones, do not have staff dedicated specifically to environmental management. Therefore it is crucial to strengthen the training of all those who work in them. The Skills for Green Jobs – European Synthesis Report CEDEFOP 2010 confirms the need for environmental skills and green jobs and the Education and Training 2020 Work programme confirms the need for an ECVET system to validate and recognise accumulated work related skills, mobility and knowledge.
This is why ECVET-Lab partners aim to tackle this need and design a project addressed to develop environmental skills for workers in laboratories, taking into account the recommendation for ECVET implementation and the harmonization of VET programmes in the EU, beside the existing VET qualification recognized at national level only. Indeed, the transnational nature of this project will be a key element to achieve the development of a common proposal to answer a need identified at EU level. The exchange of knowledge and practical experience among laboratories from different European countries will be very positive for defining the best practices applicable to the sector and promoting their implementation. This project will create a training material on environmental management in order to complement the training for technicians of environmental testing laboratories, both those who are currently working as those who are being trained as future professionals. This training course will be made non-formal open educational resources, and will be widely spread to achieve mainstreaming in formal VET.