Education for Sustainable Development
SDG-SCOUTS® – Training Trainees and Young Professionals in Sustainability
Through a multi-part series of events, the BAUM project empowers trainees and young professionals to identify and document sustainability opportunities within their companies and to suggest improvements, based on the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As SDG Scouts®, apprentices and young professionals from all industries have the opportunity to advance sustainability within their companies. Using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guide, they identify areas for effective improvement and implement these changes through a hands-on project.
The training program centers on a hands-on sustainability project that the young professionals develop, carry out, and ultimately present together with a company mentor. A program cycle consisting of three full-day in-person workshops and two practical phases at the companies lasts approximately 6-8 months. Cycles begin in the spring and fall. Upon successful completion, the trainees and young professionals receive the BAUM certificate “SDG-Scout® – Trainees and Young Professionals for Sustainability in Companies.”
SDG Scouts® are levers for real change towards sustainability
The SDG Scouts® programme is more than an educational initiative – it creates real added value for companies, trainees and managers. Sustainability is becoming a driver for change and has numerous positive effects:
- Change management & sustainable transformation: SDG Scouts identify potential, question existing processes and actively drive sustainable change. They act as change agents and shape change from within.
- SDG exploration as preparatory work for sustainability reporting: Companies are increasingly subject to reporting obligations – SDG Scouts help to identify relevant sustainability aspects and collect structured data for reporting.
- Fulfilment of standard job profile positions in training: The programme supports companies in systematically integrating sustainability into training and in meeting the requirements of standard job profile positions such as environmental protection and sustainability.
- Strengthening participants’ self-efficacy experiences: SDG scouts experience that their ideas really make a difference. They learn how to implement sustainability in a practical way – and develop self-confidence in their own creative possibilities.
- Executives are also enthusiastic: Sustainable projects in the company not only bring innovation, but also ensure stronger identification with the company – a real gain for the corporate culture.
- Improved language skills & project management skills: SDG Scouts learn to communicate complex sustainability issues in an understandable way and develop valuable project management skills that will accompany them in their professional lives in the long term.
