Ethiopian educators plan greener campuses and teaching after ILO skills training

Held from 20 to 23 October 2026, the training brought together participants from Wolaita Sodo University, TVT institutions and labour and skills offices through the ILO’s Global Skills Programme in Ethiopia, funded by Norway through Norad.

University instructors, technical and vocational training (TVT) trainers, and labour and skills experts in Ethiopia have outlined plans to bring green skills into teaching, campus operations and community activities following a four-day ILO programme in Arba Minch.

Held from 20 to 23 October 2026, the training brought together participants from Wolaita Sodo University, TVT institutions and labour and skills offices through the ILO's Global Skills Programme in Ethiopia, funded by Norway through Norad.

Participants examined how education and training can prepare people for a greener economy, covering changing occupations, green jobs and technologies, environmental sustainability, worker protection and green enterprises, before developing plans to put their learning into practice.

University plans connect green skills with teaching and community life

Dr Abriham Shumbulo, Director of Community Engagement at Wolaita Sodo University, said the training showed the need to link green skills, curricula, research and institutional practices to broader changes in society and culture.

He plans to integrate green skills into the university's teaching, research and community engagement, supported by awareness activities for students and staff that make environmental responsibility part of institutional life.

University media and social platforms will also feature in his efforts to explain green skills and green jobs to a wider audience, reflecting his view that changes in attitudes need to be supported by changes in how universities teach, conduct research and work with surrounding communities.

For Frehiwot Tamru, a Head of Department at Wolaita Sodo University, the priority is to connect classroom learning with practical experience and everyday behaviour, including better waste management and more efficient use of water and energy on campus.

Her proposals include revising curricula to incorporate green skills and environmental sustainability, strengthening industry partnerships and expanding hands-on training so students can prepare for emerging employment opportunities without leaving people behind as the economy changes.

Campus activities and college operations offer practical starting points

Haymanot Eshetie, from Wolaita Sodo University's Environmental Science Department, plans to organise awareness activities that encourage students to examine the environmental effects of their daily choices and establish an environmental club through which they can take action.

She intends to share her learning with family, friends and colleagues, extending the discussion beyond campus, and has identified curriculum updates, industry collaboration and more practical and field-based learning as priorities for the university.

Her proposals include incorporating environmental issues across different courses, giving students opportunities to connect sustainability with their own fields of study and contribute directly to a more environmentally responsible campus.

Abreham Kuma, Dean of a technical and vocational education and training college, said institutions need to demonstrate sustainable practices through their operations as well as their teaching, identifying waste management, water conservation, solar energy and green innovation as areas for improvement.

His plans bring together institutional reform, greener curricula, skills development and wider community impact, with environmental awareness among students and staff supporting the integration of green skills across training programmes and subject areas.

Changing jobs make continued learning essential

The programme examined how a greener economy can create employment opportunities and alter existing occupations, technologies and tasks, making reskilling and upskilling necessary for workers adapting to new demands and people preparing to enter employment.

Discussions connected environmental sustainability with decent work, social dialogue, worker protection and lifelong learning, exploring how TVT institutions can support a just transition that enables current and future workers to benefit from green jobs.

The four days concluded with action planning on incorporating green approaches into curricula and training materials, with participants proposing improvements in resource management, student-led environmental activities, practical learning, green research and innovation.

These proposals remain implementation plans, and their wider value depends on how institutions carry them forward into classrooms, campuses, and communities to help more people develop the skills needed for a greener economy.