On December 1, at Nuffic’s ‘Meet the World, Make the Change’ event in The Hague, the formal establishment of the Center of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) for Urban Greening in the Netherlands was celebrated with an interactive workshop and photo opportunity.
On invitation of Nuffic, Lars van Ginkel (Royal Ginkel Groep), Boudewijn Grievink (Katapult) and Sijtske Ouderkerken (Yuverta) provided an interactive, inspiring and energizing workshop focusing on the tangible outcomes and impact of the Dutch CoVE and the European Platform for Urban Greening that connects the regional CoVEs.
Royal Ginkel Groep and Yuverta, along with trade association VHG and the Municipality of Utrecht as associated partners and facilitated by Katapult, have spent the last two years strengthening cooperation around Urban Greening and building together a CoVE. They formalized the established Center of Vocational Excellence by signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in November.
Objectives of the Dutch CoVE
The Dutch CoVE contributes to climate resilience, biodiversity and the health and well-being of all city-dwellers. The partnership will act on the skills, resources, and infrastructure of key stakeholders and will contribute to regional growth through the promotion of urban greening in the Netherlands.
In addition, it actively participates in the European Platform for Urban Greening, which has spent the last two years bringing together top industry leaders and vocational educators in the field, to make advances on the pressing issues, skills training, technologies and infrastructure solutions needed to produce sustainable green urban environments.
Amongst the innovations worked on in the Netherlands, are:
- Green ‘retention roofs’, that collect and retain as much rainwater as possible. Sophisticated models for calculating the weight of the water, the speed and flow of the water and how to reinforce roofs to carry the weight, are some of the technical aspects that have been honed.
- The New Green Roof experience to demonstrate all aspects of the construction, safety, maintenance and management of a green roof while offering a hands-on teaching and examination experience for students.
- The Green Hotspot in Houten, part of Yuverta’s campus, is a dedicated community space for gardeners, green companies and Urban Greeners. It serves as a recruitment facilitator by linking students with companies in the Green Sector through internships and learning projects.
- Alongside over 30 partners from across industries and sectors, the CoVE partners work on making industrial estates greener and more sustainable.
- Responding to industry and training needs, a new qualification around the construction of green roofs will be offered in 2023. It will address technical aspects of green roof installation ranging from health and safety procedures to structural considerations and equipment.
High-Profile Event
Nuffic’s 70th Anniversary was celebrated with the ‘Meet the World, Make the Change’ event at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The high-profile event was attended by nearly 400 people, including Her Majesty Queen Máxima of The Netherlands, His Excellency Riaz Hamidullah, Ambassador of Bangladesh, and former Minister of Development Cooperation Jan Pronk.
About Nuffic
Nuffic is the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education. From primary and secondary education to vocational and higher education, research and adult education. Nuffic’s ambition is for all pupils and students to have the opportunity to acquire international competencies, whether at home or abroad. This will prepare them for the society and labour market of the future and ensure that they are ready to tackle the global challenges of our time.
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