Willich, 26 August 2025: Sustainability begins where administration takes shape. "NEW LIFE macht Schule für Verwaltungsfachangestellte", a free digital learning programme that supports vocational schools and local authorities providing training in modern education, will be launched in the new school year. At the heart of the online offer are modular teaching modules that convey the importance of climate protection, sustainability, circular economy and recycling (products) in municipal practice - in a practical and interactive way. Teachers and trainers can also request a free teaching pack containing sustainable sample products made of rubber granulate for urban construction and information material - ideal for lively teaching units that make sustainability tangible. Click here for the new teaching portal for administrative assistants.
The demands placed on public administration are changing noticeably. Topics such as sustainable procurement, climate-friendly urban development or the introduction of recycled products are increasingly becoming part of everyday life. Administrative assistants play a key role here: they prepare decisions, accompany tenders, work in building and environmental offices or in the area of procurement. This makes it all the more important that an awareness of the interrelationships between sustainability, the circular economy, climate protection and recycling is developed during training.
"Administrative staff are the interface between citizens, politics and administration. They have an influence on how decisions for our future are implemented - from the tendering of sustainable products to the planning of climate-friendly infrastructure"emphasises network coordinator Christina Guth. "We want to prepare people for this with our learning programme."
The new school year offers the perfect opportunity to get started
The new school year offers the perfect opportunity to bring forward-looking impetus to training. "NEW LIFE goes to school" was specially developed for the training of administrative employees - with content that prepares them for the real challenges of public administration. After all, anyone who works in municipal administration, the building department or in municipal procurement makes decisions with a big impact every day: How sustainable are buildings? Which materials are used? How can resources be conserved and COâ‚‚ emissions avoided? This is precisely where the programme comes in, imparting knowledge that is not just theoretical but also directly relevant to future professional practice.
A wide range of options for sustainably varied lessons
The modular teaching programme comprises eight lessons, each with five varied tasks that address current topics in sustainable municipal development. The learning units cover topics such as climate-friendly infrastructure, sustainable urban greening, recycled materials in playground and schoolyard design and the benefits of the circular economy in everyday municipal life. The content is supplemented by educational videos, group tasks, quizzes and checklists - all prepared for direct use in the classroom or in project weeks. This makes teaching an experience.
The programme is available immediately and has been designed so that it can be flexibly integrated into existing curricula. It is suitable for both block teaching and project-orientated formats and is freely accessible. The NEW LIFE initiative provides teachers and trainers with all teaching modules and materials free of charge. This makes sustainable administrative training a joint task - practical, motivating and climate-effective.
Sample pack can now be ordered free of charge
A special highlight is the accompanying sample pack, which can be ordered free of charge. It contains selected sample products made from sustainable tyre rubber granulate for urban construction, samples of unmixed rubber granulate from used tyres and up-to-date information. The materials can be integrated directly into lessons: for touching, discussing and designing. In this way, sustainability is not only taught, but experienced.
For the NEW LIFE initiative, it is a central concern to take the idea of the circular economy to where it can shape the future: in the education of young people. After all, every decision that is made in a municipality in the future should also be evaluated in terms of sustainability. The administrators of tomorrow will play a key role in this - whether in the planning of new residential areas, the furnishing of public buildings or the organisation of local recycling initiatives. An understanding of ecological interrelationships, climate-friendly processes and the opportunities of recycling is needed. It is precisely this understanding that "NEW LIFE goes to school" conveys.
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