The UWE School of Engineering’s Inspire Sustainability team highlighted future green jobs to young people at the Somerset Sustainable Futures Summit. The event brought together primary and secondary students, educators, and local businesses, to explore green skills and future career opportunities.
Students were challenged to design wind turbine blades and generate clean energy as part of the new Power our Future workshop activity. You can view teaching resources for the activity here on the Curiosity Connections website.
The event took place on 26th November at Taunton Rugby Football Club, and was a collaboration between Somerset Council, Dorset & Somerset Training Provider Network, Somerset Education Business Partnership, Somerset Careers Hub, and local stakeholders, aimed to inspire Somerset’s young people and build a sustainable future workforce.
Students engaged with interactive exhibits from local employers leading in sustainability and shared their perspectives during a youth voice summit. Key highlights included a keynote speech from climate activist and Castle School student James Lawson and thought-provoking discussions where students shaped priorities for the initiative.
Julie Young of Somerset Council praised the students’ passion and ideas, while Richard Jenkins of DSTPN commended businesses for showcasing practical sustainability efforts that inspired the next generation.
The day concluded with a logo design competition for the initiative, with the winning entry set to feature on the Somerset Sustainable Futures website in the new year.
There’s also a short video of the day from the Somerset Education Business Partnership, available here.
If you’d like to hear more about the event, or find out ways you can get involved in future events with the Inspire Sustainability team, please contact the team at engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk
Schools can also book free STEM workshops from the Inspire Sustainability team including the Power our Future activity, on the Curiosity Connections website, or by contacting the team.