The representatives of the 10 partner countries of the PRALINE program met in La Rochelle in January to discuss mainly the issue of sustainable development in the context of vocational training.
The 3 dimensions of sustainable development:
Organized by the UNMFR, this "peer learning activity" made it possible to rely in particular on the experience of MFRs to consider the issue of sustainable development in its environmental but also social and economic dimensions.
Indeed, these training centers, located in rural areas:
- Propose a local and varied training offer (the difficulty of mobility often being a brake on the commitment to training for certain young or adult audiences),
- participate to the social animation of the territory thanks to the associative governance (represented by the parents, the elected officials, the social partners, …) and by being places open to the outside (third places, co-working spaces, …) ,
- contribute to local socio-economic development through the employment of employees (director, trainers, facilitators, maintenance people, catering, etc.) but also through operating and investment expenditure made with companies in the territory (short circuits, maintenance of the fabric economic, …),
- All in one approach of sobriety environmental (less travel, enhancement of the local economy, etc.).
Sustainable development included in a label:
The presentation to the participants of the RSO labeling undertaken by the MFR (the only training network in France to have undertaken this approach) confirmed the qualitative desire to place its action within the framework of sustainable development.
At the end, this gave rise to a work of reflection on the quality of training in the various partner countries.
Another dimension of sustainable development:
But a more unique approach to "sustainable development" was made by presenting the profession of trainer (called monitor in MFR). That of “sustainable development of learner skills”.
Indeed, faced with the challenges of the complex world that is offered to everyone and in this context where "uncertainty has become the norm", the trainer (or the teacher) can no longer be only a "knowledge broker" but he must instead support the development of everyone's "power to act" so that they can “learning to learn throughout life”.
Thus, this 360° support position for people in training (young or adult) is divided into several missions. Those of:
- Mediator between the resource (knowledge available everywhere) and the learner,
- Stimulator (motivation to learn),
- accompanist life projects (of learners),
- Animator communities (learners, parents, corporate tutors, etc.).
This complex posture course architect » implemented by the MFRs, requires new skills for the trainers and therefore questions the training of the latter.
This point thus gave rise to a reflection with all the participants on “the skills of trainers in the XNUMXst century”.
Other good practices around sustainable development:
But beyond that, this gathering was also an opportunity to discover other initiatives around the theme.
Thus, the presentation of the “Zero-barrier” platform implemented by Discovia, which makes it possible to identify, enhance, recognize and even certify skills, is close to the logic of “sustainable development of learner skills”.
As for the presentation of “La Rochelle, zero carbon territory”, it made it possible to show that the questions of sustainable development cannot be apprehended only through the prism of the school or the university.
Supporting change towards more virtuous awareness and practices can only be conceived with multidimensional action (youth, students, companies, employees, citizens, elected officials, etc.) carried out by all the institutions and communities of the territory. .
Thinking about sustainable development, an opportunity to think about the complex:
From school to all socio-economic actors, the subject of sustainable development is cross-cutting and now impacts all activities.
But the practices of yesteryear are no longer successful, it is not easy to "make something new out of the old". Taking sustainable development into account in our daily lives therefore forces us to think and act differently.
Thus, at a time when, for all the issues facing us, institutions are struggling to “think outside the box”, the concept of sustainable development invites us to adopt an innovative and pro-active posture.
In this context, is it not open to civil society to “step aside” and open up new perspectives in the face of the challenges of the XNUMXst century?
In other words, on the subject of vocational training and despite the institutional normative constraints and injunctions that are imposed on us, what freedom of action to give ourselves to invent alternative pedagogical practices at the service of learners ?
Beyond the example of MFR presented, this is what this “peer learning activity” wanted to encourage.
At European level, this constitutes a noble mission for the PRALINE programme.
