HOME » NEWS AND INFORMATION » Young People from Cornish Schools are Encouraged to Consider “Green Careers”

Young People from Cornish Schools are Encouraged to Consider “Green Careers”

An exciting day of ‘hands on’ activities aimed at inspiring young people about the potential of green careers has been planned for teams of young people from Cornish Schools at the end of June.

The Environmental Skills Network and Cornwall Learning Education Business Partnership are working together to deliver the event entitled: Bright Green.  The day will introduce year 10 students, who are enthusiastic and skilled at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, to the growing number of ‘green’ opportunities that exist locally.

The event follows an information day for teachers, lecturers and careers advisers; which was hosted by the two organisations in May.  The day provided an opportunity for teachers and lecturers from schools in Cornwall to visit SWAAT – a purpose-built training centre for domestic solar, ground air source heating and rainwater harvesting and meet a range of employers and organisations working in the environmental sector.

“Green Careers are set to grow and prosper, with an explosion of demand expected in the future – from renewable energy technologies to ‘green collar’ jobs” said Justin Olosunde from the Environmental Skills Network.

“The event in May was an opportunity for teachers, lecturers and careers advisers to gain up to date knowledge on the current and future skill requirements directly from the employers and organisations involved”

Helen Field, from Cornwall Learning Education Business Partnership said “It is important for all teachers to have current knowledge and understanding of exactly what businesses require from future employees and for employers to understand the potential of what is being learned in school and college”

“We need to make sure that industry and education are talking to each other, and this event provided teachers with an opportunity to make links with employers who can help bring life to learning by making links with the world of work.”

Companies that supported the event include SWAAT, Cornwall Light and Power, Ginsters, Eden Project, Microgeneration, Somar International, Community Energy Plus and Eco-house. The event was attended by schools and colleges including Richard Lander, Budehaven, Launceston College, Cape Cornwall, Torpoint, Looe, Saltash, Penrice and Cornwall College Newquay.

Rachel Delourme from Cornwall Learning Education Business Partnership said of the upcoming Bright Green event:
“This event will inspire young people to make the connection between what they are learning at school to the jobs that will exist in the future as part of a low-carbon economy”

Amongst the activities on offer, the pupils will explore intelligent control systems, look at live data feeds from wind farms, find out how electricity is made using renewable energy technologies and have the opportunity to talk to a wide range of employers and postgraduates.

Bright Green will involve partners from industry and Higher Education and will explain pathways, both academic and vocational, into several sectors including: renewable energy technologies and green construction to ‘green collar’ jobs in consultancy, environmental planning, law, ecology, conservation and finance.

During the visit children will take part in three hands-on workshops and visit an information ‘fair’.   Camborne, Helston, Saltash, Budehaven and Hayle schools have already booked up, and will work with employers including Naturepaint, the Eden Project, Cornwall Light and Power, Pure Energy, ACMA Lairdking, Rory McPhee Designs,  Community Energy Plus, the Sustainable Trust and  Post Graduates from Exeter University.

Justin from the Environmental Skills Network commented:
“The Bright Green event presents a fantastic opportunity for the Environmental Skills Network to ensure that we safeguard the future of the environment sector in Cornwall.  The county has developed a really strong skills set and it is vital that we invest in its future”