Canada’s post-secondary institutions have a critical role to play in ensuring new grads and mature workers have the in-demand skills needed, but many have yet to integrate climate literacy and green skills into their pedagogy.
This project sought to understand how post-secondary institutions are integrating green skills, climate literacy, and green career pathways into their programming, the barriers they faced, and opportunities for them to be more responsive to emerging green economy needs. To answer these questions, the project performed a scan of existing literature and conducted 20 key informant interviews with instructors and faculty members involved in academic planning at 17 public post-secondary institutions across Canada, representing colleges, polytechnics, and universities.
The project found that changes to curriculum and teaching are being hindered by institutional bureaucracy and that many educators lack the foundational climate literacy and green skills to teach to others. Interviewees encouraged post-secondary institutions to craft their own strategies to address these challenges, while taking note of promising practices like living labs and work-integrated learning. In an increasingly volatile, dynamic labour market, demanding workers be nimble and adaptable, Canada needs equally nimble and adaptable post-secondary institutions to help meet its net-zero targets.