GCP-30021 - Module Specification
School of Life Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

What skills do we need to engage and thrive in a more sustainable world? How can I pursue sustainability in my future personal and professional
life? In this module we will consider the importance of 'green skills' in the workforce and development of 'sustainability competencies' in
education. The module addresses the challenges in defining and achieving green skills across various employment pathways. Through peer
learning activities, you will support each other to assess and develop you own skills for sustainability.

This module aims to enable you to explore the role of skills and competencies required to achieve a more sustainable world, and provide the
opportunity for you to assess and develop sustainability skills and competencies in yourself and others.
There is substantial agreement about the need for ‘green skills’ development in the workforce to enable the required sustainability transition and
the need for every job to become a ‘green job’. However, there is more limited clear articulation of the breadth of these green skills and the
relevance of different green skills to different employment pathways, as well as limited clarity on the pathways to achieve the necessary ‘green
skilling.’ Likewise, the idea of ‘sustainability competencies’ has gained traction internationally as a cornerstone of education for sustainable
development, but there is still a long way to go in enabling the effective development of these competencies in our formal education systems
and through lifelong learning.
This module will provide you with the opportunity to develop a detailed understanding of the green skills agenda and sustainability
competencies, including consideration of your own skills and competencies relevant to pursuing sustainability in your personal and future
professional lives, and enable you to support others in their sustainability learning journey.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Compare and contrast the narratives around the role of education and green skills in tackling the UN SDGs: 1,2
Critically examine emerging concepts in sustainability from a range of different disciplinary perspectives disciplines: 1
Reflect on their own sustainability competencies in relation to possible future ‘green careers’, putting strategies in place to address
gaps and areas of weakness: 1
Effectively support others in their sustainability learning journey: 2

Study hours

32 hours in-class active learning sessions, including timetabled group work sessions in Semester 2
75 hours group work (~ 3 hrs per week) including structured group learning activities and preparation of group assessment including level-6
showcase event
43 hours independent study including preparation for independent assessment

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment