Mapping the opportunities
This resource helps youth workers guide young people in identifying sustainable job opportunities and resources within their communities. By creating collective maps and exploring career paths, participants will develop the knowledge and skills needed to pursue environmentally and socially responsible careers.
Toolkit Overview ▼
Topic or issues covered
- Energiser
- Definition of green job
- Creating a collective map of sustainable job and training opportunities and other helpful resources
Aim of activities
The tools proposed are helping young people to understand what a sustainable career could be and where they could find opportunities and resources in their geographical surroundings. This will facilitate them getting on track towards a sustainable career path.
Learning objectives
- Explore opportunities for sustainable careers in local and regional areas.
- Develop skills to assess available resources and their potential for supporting green and sustainable career paths.
- Enhance awareness of the connection between sustainability and career development.
- Foster critical thinking about aligning personal goals with sustainable opportunities.
Target group
15-30 years
Brief summary of active and participatory methodologies used
- Playful approach
- Self-reflection
- Group work, discussion and reflection
Quality standard checklist
✅ Inclusion and diversity: the activity is open to all young people, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or socioeconomic background.
✅ Respect: this activity promotes an environment where young people respect others, their viewpoints and opinions, even if they differ from their own.
✅ Sustainability: this activity promotes behaviours and practices that respect the environment and are sustainable in the long term.
✅ Personal growth: offer opportunities for the personal and professional development of young people, helping them discover and cultivate their talents and passions.
✅ Active citizenship: this activity promotes the values of civic and social engagement by young people, encouraging them to actively participate in their community and make a difference in the world around them.
✅ Green Values in career: this activity promotes an idea of career orientation that considers ecological values and environmental sustainability, and encourages the adoption of eco-sustainable work practices.
Activity 1
ALL OF YOU, WHO….
This energising activity encourages participants to reflect on their interests and values by identifying shared traits and experiences with their peers.
Materials and equipment required:
- Space to do the activity
- Some statements prepared in advance
Description of the activity:
All participants stand in a line. The facilitator reads out their preprepared statements. Those who agree, move one step forward. The facilitator may ask some related questions.
Possible statements:
- Take one step forward if you…
- have considered stopping eating meat.
- use reusable to-go cups
- have already completed an apprenticeship
- know where their T-shirt is from
Activity 2
WHAT IS A GREEN JOB?
This activity is designed to help participants develop a thorough understanding of what constitutes a 'green job', encompassing ecological and social standards.
Materials and equipment required:
- Sticky notes
- Paper
- Pens
- Poster board
- Checklist for selection of what goes on the ‘map of opportunities’ DOWNLOAD
Description of the activity:
In order to be able to map green career and training opportunities locally, participants need a good understanding about what green jobs may be.
First, the facilitator collects what is already there. They ask: “When I say ‘green job’, what comes to your mind?”
Participants share their ideas in a discussion or by writing on post-it notes that are attached to a poster board.
Now, the group is divided. Each group tries to dig deeper and find more practices, principles etc. that make a job, sector or company green, or at least greener than others. It is important to think about ecological as well as social standards. The examples of the earlier toolkit (values) may serve as inspirations: Think about what makes the job of a hairdresser/beautician, company manager, grocer/baker, teacher etc. green. The group lists all relevant aspects, then groups them.
The different lists are presented and integrated into one joint list. The joint list may be compared with the existing checklist and be amended.
Activity 3
MAPPING THE OPPORTUNITIES
This activity guides participants to collaboratively create a map of local green job and training opportunities, combining their knowledge with additional research.
Materials and equipment required:
- Variety of workshop materials (flip charts, pens, scissors, glue, post-its, photos/flyers/icons/stickers)
- Geographical map of the area to be mapped for reference
- Place suitable for a material-intensive session
Description of the activity:
In this session, a map of local green job and training opportunities is created together with young people. To start, the facilitator clarifies together with participants the following questions and notes the answers down on a flip chart for everyone to see during the entire mapping phase. The answers give directions on how to complete the task (creation of the map). The questions: “Who is mapping where, what, how, why and for whom?"
Possible answers are:
Who: The young people themselves.
Where: The region/city they live in.
What: Green job and training opportunities, career counselling centres/job centres, job fairs etc.
How: By creating a physical map
Why: For participants to get a good overview of their opportunities and to motivate them to follow their values
For whom: For the young people themselves.
After clarifying basic questions, the map creation can start. Depending on the number of participants, the group may be divided.
- Each group starts with drawing a schematic representation of the territory they want to map on a flip chart.
- Map creation: The group uses their knowledge to identify the work places, companies, counselling centres, job fairs etc. that will go on their map (to decide what goes on the map, the checklist may be referred to). Additional research on the internet may be done. Places are marked on the map by sticking icons/symbols, drawing, pinning, colouring etc.
- Optional physical tour: Optional exploration tour in the region/city to find more places. They are then marked on the map.
- Presentation: Group(s) present the (different) map(s) in the plenary.
- Finalisation: Finalisation of different maps or creation of one joint map.
Credit:
