As part of Scottish Careers Week (November 11-15), Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) North East is shining a light on a collaborative and innovative initiative to help young people consider careers in the energy sector.
Major industry players recently joined forces to deliver an Energy Trilemma Event for Engineering Science pupils at Cults Academy. The event aimed to give pupils an understanding of the term Energy Trilemma, which refers to the need to balance the security, sustainability and affordability of our energy system as we transition towards net zero.
Representatives from Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), SLB, Nexos and Technip FMC delivered a series of fact-finding interactive workshops, which were followed by a plenary session with the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ). The young people who participated gained a deeper understanding of the energy transition and the opportunities it will create in terms of future jobs and skills requirements.
“it can be challenging for young people to understand what the energy transition means for them, however it is vital that they gain awareness as their generation will lead the charge towards net zero,” says Margo Mine, Director, DYW North East. “This is where DYW North East comes in: we provide a conduit between education and industry to support our region’s skills development and economic growth.”
DYW North East’s coordinators worked closely with school staff and industry representatives to build the Energy Trilemma Event. The participating organisations, all of whom are Young Person’s Guarantee pledge partners, were carefully selected to ensure that pupils gained exposure to different areas.
These included carbon capture and storage, decommissioning, offshore floating wind and synthetic fuels and storage. The activity was captured by Energy Insider, another Young Person’s Guarantee pledge partner and a specialist in producing educational content for the energy sector. It is hoped that the event concept can be repeated with other secondary schools in the region.
Scottish Careers Week 2024 celebrates career support and showcases exciting industries and opportunities, including green careers. It is a Skills Development Scotland campaign, which is supported by DYW.
DYW North East is one of 20 regional groups throughout Scotland with responsibility for fostering connections between employers and educators to equip young people for the world of work. They play a key role in the delivery of the Young Person’s Guarantee, which aims to connect every 16-24-year-old in Scotland to an opportunity.
Video highlights from the Energy Trilemma Event can be viewed here.