Effective Sustainability Training: What I Learned From Delivering My First ISEP Course

If modern opinion is to be believed, people nowadays have shorter concentration spans and a greater dependency on technology for learning. How can classroom based learning be adapted to maximise engagement?  

With businesses trying to keep employee commute emissions to a minimum and the Covid-19 Pandemic paving the way, remote working and learning have become far more commonplace. When it came to delivering my first ISEP training course – Pathways to Net Zero, there was an opportunity to explore the benefits of person to person learning and how best to employ it. 

The Pathways to Net Zero course introduces the concept of carbon accounting and the different models of emissions reduction such as Carbon Neutral and Net Zero. It also teaches students the principles behind a robust carbon reduction plan and how to communicate a Net Zero strategy across a value chain. 

Building Teamwork and Engagement 

When booking an internal training course, a deliberate effort is always made to have as many different departments represented as possible. Getting these individuals, who may not otherwise work together, in a room tackling challenges as part of a team, leads to a dynamic learning environment.  

For example, when looking at the credibility of a Net Zero pledge, a marketing employee will have a skillset that leans towards evaluating communications and visual impact, while an accountant is more likely to see weaknesses in target setting and planning. Inter-departmental group activities like these often contribute towards greater cooperation and collaboration. 

Real Time Support and Feedback 

Typically, remote learning classes employ a strict schedule to keep their larger class sizes progressing at the same pace. The downside of this is that students are not given the opportunity to further explore topics that they find challenging to understand or enjoyable. Furthermore, too much time may be given to topics that they may find simple or boring. Having the flexibility to let trainees explore the topics they want results in increased engagement and enthusiasm. 

In the Pathways to Net Zero course, which included carbon neutral case studies, students were given time to look at the pledges made by self-professed carbon neutral companies to use their newfound knowledge to evaluate them. This activity was so well received that extra time was allocated to it. On the flip side, the class understood the differences between carbon offsets and removals far quicker than expected, so time was taken away from those sessions. 

Drawing Attention Back to the Room 

Even with engaging content, there are limits to the amount of concentration an individual can expend over the course of 12 hours’ training across 2 days. Even with regular breaks, attention can wander to laptops and phones. Instead of trying to prevent it, why not work it into the course?  

Throughout Pathways to Net Zero, students were invited to look up their own case studies or define terms through research conducted on their own devices. For example, could they find climate tipping points not listed in the course material? 

Keeping material to smaller ‘chunks’ using activities, games and interaction is a great way to keep engagement up and distraction down. 

A Tailored Training Course 

Techbuyer now has three qualified trainers delivering courses on Net Zero, Sustainability Skills for the Workforce, and Environmental Management. Find out more about how we can deliver effective, engaging training to your workforce here.