Condensed, Rapid-Delivery Training with Micro-Credential Badge

EMC’s Green Skills Activation for Manufacturing will be delivered as a four-module program over a 4-week period, with up-to 4 hours training per module. Delivery may be offered virtually or in hybrid format depending on employer demand, regional participation and project scheduling.

Total time for participant completion is estimated at 16 hours (4hrs x 4 modules).

Training / Learning Objectives

During this course, participants will learn to:

• Understand what sustainable manufacturing means and how to deploy green and sustainable initiatives;
• Engage and align senior leadership, peers, teams and operations staff in sustainable manufacturing;
• Design a credible and affordable path to achieve organizational ESG, sustainability and net zero targets;
• Identify and quantify strategic opportunities for improvement related to energy, water, waste, resource productivity, emissions reduction and CleanTech adoption;
• Increase employee alignment, engagement and shift culture, and;
• Complete an Applied Learning Blueprint and practical opportunities.

Completion Requirements

To fulfill the course criteria necessary for completion, micro-credential and Professional Development Hours recognition, participants are committing complete all course modules over an 4-week period (depending on delivery format) including:

• Attend and participate in all four (4) training modules. Each module is up-to 4 hours.
• Completion of all required content, assignments and e-learning modules.
• Completion of a one-page Applied Learning Blueprint identifying the strategic value of sustainability for their organization and one practical opportunity or next step for further review.

Training Course Modules

GSA-1: Sustainable Manufacturing and Charting a Credible, Affordable Path to Net Zero

Sustainable manufacturing is increasingly connected to competitiveness, cost reduction, customer expectations, employee attraction and retention, access to markets, and long-term business resilience. Many organizations are setting future carbon neutrality or net zero commitments, but do not yet have a clear understanding of their baseline, their target, or the most affordable path between the two.

This module introduces the business case for sustainability and helps participants understand how an effective roadmap can reduce cost, improve performance and avoid unnecessary capital spending. Using practical manufacturing examples and case studies, participants will explore how to identify blind spots in traditional business, engineering, procurement and operational decision-making that may result in missed financial, environmental and social gains.

Participants will learn to:

• Craft a compelling and authentic business case for sustainability;
• Understand how sustainability can support profitability and competitiveness;
• Recognize the importance of baselines, targets and practical roadmaps;
• Learn foundational approaches for quantifying and tracking carbon footprint;
• Identify and prioritize measures that may produce substantial gains; and
• Understand how to address the remaining gap to net zero targets in a credible and affordable way.

GSA-2: Water and Energy Conservation, Reducing Waste and Upcycling Materials

Manufacturing operations were often designed when water, energy and disposal costs were lower and less visible. Today, rising utility costs, resource constraints, customer expectations and supply chain pressures are making water, energy and waste reduction critical business issues.

This module helps participants understand the financial and operational value embedded in water, energy and materials. It introduces the concept of water and energy balances, process integration, solid waste prevention, yield improvement and upcycling. Participants will also explore how material losses can carry embedded Scope 3 greenhouse gas impacts and how reducing waste can support both cost and emissions reduction.

Participants will learn to:

• Understand the value of preparing a quantified water balance;
• Use Pareto thinking and Root Cause Analysis to identify losses;
• Recognize wastewater, treatment and embedded resource costs;
• Understand the basics of electrical and thermal energy balances;
• Explore how process integration can uncover interrelated savings;
• Recognize opportunities to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions;
• Understand why the true cost of waste is often underestimated;
• Differentiate solid waste prevention from a standard waste audit;
• Recognize Scope 3 opportunities within materials and supply chains; and
• Identify yield enhancement and upcycling strategies.

GSA-3: Implementing Change and the Power of Purpose

Successful sustainability implementation depends on people, culture, systems and alignment. Even strong technical opportunities can fail without leadership support, employee engagement, clear ownership and a practical approach to change management.

This module focuses on how to embed sustainability into everyday decision-making and business planning. Participants will examine stakeholder alignment, sustainable procurement, change management, systems for retaining gains, and the importance of purpose-driven organizations. The module also explores how manufacturers can credibly communicate their sustainability story without overstating progress or creating reputational risk.

Participants will learn to:

• Identify and align key internal and external stakeholders;
• Understand the role of sustainable procurement;
• Apply practical change management concepts;
• Establish systems for tracking and retaining gains;
• Understand how purpose-driven organizations can outperform peers;
• Explore how sustainability can support employee engagement and business resilience; and
• Communicate sustainability progress in a credible and practical way.

GSA-4: Applied Learning Blueprint for Increasing Manufacturing Sustainability

The final module provides participants with the opportunity to consolidate their learning into a practical one-page Applied Learning Blueprint. This document will outline the strategic benefit of sustainability for their organization and identify one concrete next step, opportunity or measure to investigate.

The Applied Learning Blueprint may include an opportunity related to energy, water, waste, materials, procurement, employee engagement, clean technology adoption, emissions reduction or broader sustainability planning.

This final activity is intended to help participants move from awareness to action, while also helping employers identify potential candidates, priorities and projects that may later be advanced through EMC’s full Green Skills in Manufacturing Certification Training, the Sustainability & CleanTech Working Group, or future implementation supports.

Participants will complete:

• A one-page Applied Learning Blueprint;
• A summary of why sustainability matters to their organization;
• Identification of one practical opportunity or next step;
• Initial consideration of business value, resource savings, emissions impact or implementation readiness, and;
• A recommended path for further review, team discussion or project development.

Micro-Credential Recognition & Professional Development Hours

Upon successful completion, participants will receive EMC’s Green Skills Activation – Manufacturing Micro-Credential, in addition to Professional Development Hours (PDH) accreditation.

This confirms completion of the condensed training pathway and foundational learning in sustainable manufacturing, clean technology adoption, resource efficiency, waste reduction, change management and applied sustainability planning.

This condensed pathway does not provide full certification and does not replace EMC’s Green Skills in Manufacturing Certification Training, which includes the full eight-module curriculum, Workplace Performance Project, project presentation and certification requirements.