North Somerset's Weston College has said a green skills drive in the West of England's economy must be as “inclusive as possible” after the Government revealed new plans for how the education sector could help tackle climate change.
Secondary school students will be able to study the natural world through a new GCSE in natural history from 2025, as part of a strategy unveiled by The Department for Education last week (April 21).
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also said opportunities would be provided for people of all ages to train, retrain or upskill to go into green careers.
The Government has said its flagship ‘Net Zero’ strategy for reducing carbon emissions, announced last year, would support 190,000 jobs by the middle of the 2020s and up to 440,000 jobs in 2030.
Weston College, based in Weston-super-Mare, welcomed the vision, saying education and training providers offering green apprenticeships could “lead the way” in preparing young people and adults for ‘green jobs’.
Dr Paul Phillips, principal and chief executive of Weston College, said the talent needed to solve the global climate crisis would need to come “from all backgrounds".
“More importantly, we also see that ‘green jobs’ are a great chance to level up and want to ensure that our green skills agenda is as inclusive as possible," he said.
The institution said it was already helping businesses navigate towards net zero as the lead for the West of England Institute of Technology scheme.
The initiative includes a new advanced engineering campus built within aerospace giant GKN’s new cutting edge Global Technology Centre in Filton, where students are able to learn about technology being developed to decarbonise aviation.
The College is also set to host a business breakfast event of sustainability on May 12 at the Winter Gardens Pavilion in efforts to build a strong network for climate change collaboration with “key employers” in the region.
The event will also mark the launch of Weston College’s own sustainability and social action framework.
Weston College was recently recognised with the Engineering and Manufacturing Apprenticeship Provider of the Year prize at the 2022 Annual Apprenticeship Conference (AAC) Awards.
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