Sustainable decisions are crucial to a company’s success, but they are highly complex. The InnoVET PLUS project NaTuL equips apprentices in the transport and logistics sector to strike a balance between economic efficiency, environmental protection and social responsibility – through a computer game and an accompanying seminar.

Latest update: On 23 June, the project team will present the development of the serious game in a live stream (5–6 pm). We particularly invite interested parties from companies, HR managers, apprentices and anyone who wants to rethink logistics. Information and link to the event

A daily balancing act

Should we buy electric lorries even though our existing fleet is still operational? Should we plan our transport routes so that our drivers have enough time for deliveries and access to toilet facilities? Should we invest in a solar panel system for the warehouse or in a green roof instead? Decisions like these are part of everyday life in the transport and logistics sector – and they are rarely straightforward. Acting sustainably means balancing social, economic and environmental considerations. What makes economic sense is not necessarily the best solution socially or environmentally – and vice versa.

Making sustainable decisions through play

To help the skilled workers of tomorrow better navigate these trade-offs, the InnoVET PLUS project “NaTuL” (Sustainabilityin the Transport and Logistics Sector) is developing an innovative learning format: a 90-hour IHK-certified course that combines a computer game (serious game) with an accompanying seminar. “We want to place apprentices in realistic professional decision-making situations where they can act as sustainably as possible,” says Alina Hank from the University of Oldenburg.

How the serious game works

In the game, participants manage the transport and logistics department of a retail company. Alongside a free-play mode for route planning, there are six tricky scenario-based missions in which they must make sustainable decisions – and the consequences of these decisions are immediately visible in the game. These involve operational decisions at the specialist level as well as strategic decisions at management level. In addition to imparting knowledge, the aim is to promote the trainees’ decision-making skills, independence and problem-solving abilities.

Learning through games and seminars

The game is complemented by an in-person accompanying seminar, in which the core content is taught and the scenarios are discussed before and after play: What worked particularly well? Which aspects need to be taken into account for the next topic? The trainees play the serious game in their spare time, so it is initially being developed for tablets or smartphones. An AI adjusts the difficulty level so that both beginners and experienced gamers are equally challenged. The free-play mode and the first scenario are currently under development. The programme is aimed at apprentices in professions such as freight forwarding and logistics services, wholesale and foreign trade management, industrial clerks, warehouse specialists and warehouse logistics specialists.

Balancing fun and learning objectives

How is learning material turned into a captivating game? Stefan Hoffmann from Serious Games Solutions explains: “Turning dry learning content into cool game content – that’s our job.” Together with the University of Oldenburg, his team develops ideas on how content can be translated into exciting missions. After each test round, the scenario is revised – until the fun of the game and the learning objective fit together perfectly. Dr Eva Unruh from the University of Oldenburg, herself a qualified freight forwarding and logistics specialist, assists with the design of the learning content and ensures it is tested in practice.

Practical testing and future prospects

The complete package comprising the game and seminar will be trialled by the University of Oldenburg in 2027 with at least 15 apprentices. An examining board, including representatives from the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, will assess performance in the seminar and the practical tasks carried out at the training company, and award the official certificates. There is already considerable interest from companies – not least because it enables them to enhance their appeal as training providers.

To ensure the programme can be widely implemented in practice, the project team will develop a transfer concept next year. The certificate course for apprentices could, for example, be offered on a permanent basis by the university’s continuing education provider C3L – Centre forLifelong Learningor by the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce. It is also conceivable that it could be used in vocational further education and as part of Business Administration studies at university. Furthermore, promotion is already underway within the North German transport and logistics sector for a comprehensive roll-out.

Would you like to take part in the trial or offer the course yourself? Please contact

Alina Hank: alina.hank@uni-oldenburg.de, 0441 798-4174
Alicia Moss: alicia.janica.moss@uni-oldenburg.de, 0441 798-4131

The project partners at NaTuL:

contact

Dr Joachim Stöter (C3L), T +49(0)441 798-2052, E