Working Environment Knowledge for Young People

In the first lessson, the pupils get an introduction to what the concept of work environment means and, through films and discussions, get to think about what affects how we feel at work. The concepts of physical and psychosocial work environment are introduced – and make the broad spectrum of the work environment comprehensible.

The lessons ends with work environment researcher David Hallman explaining why work environment is a knowledge that pupils can benefit from for the rest of their lives.

In the second lesson, the pupils are invited to reason about why work environment is important for their health during their working life. They get to learn about the factors that research has found impact us to feel good or bad about working.
The lesson also includes an exercise in identifying risk factors and wellbeing factors.
The lesson ends with work environment researcher David Hallman talking about the development of the work environment from risk factors to wellbeing factors.

In the third lesson, pupils find out how digital tools affect us physically and psychosocially in everyday life and in working life. The pupils can do a self-estimation exercise where they calculate how many hours per day they spend in front of screens. They also get evidence based ”tricks” that they can perform themselves to prevent risks that exist in the digital work environment.

The lesson ends with work environment researcher David Hallman confirming that the digital tools affect us and that we do not yet really know how we are affected by them.

The fourth lesson is about predicting what future work environments could look like. What types of jobs will we have in 25 years? Are we all working in space 2048? The pupils discuss in groups and as a whole class how professions have changed over the years and what impact these changes have on the work environment. The lesson ends with work environment researcher David Hallman telling us what research within the work environment of the future has come up with and whether it is even possible to do research on something that has not yet happened.

The fifth lesson is entirely devoted to an practical exercise that gives the pupils a possibility to transfer the theoretical knowledge about work environment that they have gained in lessons 1-4. The students can create their dream workplace in groups- and in these groups discuss which work environment factors they would think are most important to work with in this place.

In the last lesson, the pupils present their dream workplaces to each other. Afterwards, a quiz with six questions, statements and images related to the previously completed lessons is carried out. Finally, the pupils are ”graduated” with an inspiring and fireworkds-filled film.