27.01.25 Employment & skills

Developing green skills

Young people are a vital part of the region’s transition to net zero. Their voice in shaping the transition is particularly important, as they will be impacted by decisions made now for many years to come. And their skills and employment in the thousands of green jobs created, will be what powers it.

Supported by Bristol City Leap, our February Green Mingle will have a youth and green skills focus – providing a space for young people, and the fantastic sustainability programmes they are involved in across the region, to network with one another and with Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership members.

Bristol City Leap’s work with young people and green skills

Bristol City Leap is an initiative built on a foundation of social value. A crucial element of their commitment to social impact is to actively support the future job market, particularly in roles that require green skills. Since their launch in 2023, they have embarked on various projects that engage students from primary school upwards.

They’ve worked with multiple partners to support more people into green careers, for example providing work placements for refugees and vulnerable migrants through ACH, and working with Key4Life, whose mission is to reduce youth offending by empowering young men in prison and those at risk to build brighter futures. They recognise it is essential to bridge the skills gap to help Bristol achieve its net zero goals in the short term, and ensure that skilled and talented individuals continue to join the environmental sector in the years to come.

Below is a roundup of the top asks and offers from some of the many brilliant local initiatives supporting the development of green skills for young people.

Bright Green Future

Bright Green Future is a free, three-month leadership and empowerment programme for 16-19-year-olds, inspiring young people to be changemakers.

Our top ask: we’d love to invite green energy professionals to come and speak to our students on Bright Green Future about their careers.

Our top offer: we have over 300 Bright Green Future Alumni around the UK, including a Youth Advisory Board that we regular approach for advice – so if you’re needing the views of diverse, engaged, and environmentally conscious young people, we’ve got them! Contact us at bgf@cse.org.uk.

SBY

SBY’s Green Futures and Green Skills: Connected programmes are connecting green employers with schools and offering industry-related activities to young people.

Our top ask and offer is for green employers and organisations to engage with these programmes.

Employers can get involved in The Green Futures programme by delivering short workshops for students or providing a work experience day. The Green Skills programme offers advice, guidance and support for employers new to providing workplace experiences. Contact emily.bailey@sby.org.uk for more information.

Youth Environmental Service

The Youth Environmental Service is a new programme for young people to spend a year doing paid work at environmental organisations across the UK.

Our top ask and offer at the Youth Environmental Service is to help you create aspirational entry-level opportunities, connect you with talented young people from underserved backgrounds, and provide support and training to make sure they thrive. If you know any young people who might want to pursue an opportunity like this, direct them to our Instagram to stay updated with new opportunities. If you are an environmental organisation and would like to host a placement, please contact jess@youthenvironmentalservice.co.uk

Black2Nature

Black2Nature campaigns for equal access to nature for Visible Minority Ethnic communities as they are currently excluded from the countryside. We organise nature camps, events, conferences, and campaigns to make nature conservation and environmental sectors ethnically diverse.

Our top offer: We have funding to provide free Equality, Diversity and Inclusion support and training to the nature conservation and environmental sector.

Our top ask: We are looking for volunteers as well as organisations to support, publicise and amplify our work as well as partner with us.

UWE

At UWE, our MSc Environmental Management and MSc Sustainable Development in Practice students are looking for opportunities to support the work of environmental and sustainability organisations in Bristol.

Our top ask: Provide an opportunity for students as part of their Work-Based Learning module.

Our top offer: Students to support one of your projects over a 20-day period. Previous projects have included supply chain analysis, market research, compilation of data bases and directories, production of workshop materials, support with communications campaigns, and spatial analyses using Geographical Information Systems. For further information, contact Sarah.Hills@uwe.ac.uk.

University of Bristol

Researchers at the University of Bristol have put together a place-based model for both developing local green skills offerings and justice-led interventions.

Our top ask and offer is to work with employers to learn more about what skills are needed and how such a model can support local and regional businesses. If you are interested, please email Ed Atkins ed.atkins@bristol.ac.uk and Caroline Bird caroline.bird@bristol.ac.uk.

Catalyse Change

Catalyse Change CIC is a Bristol-based social enterprise dedicated to inspiring, empowering, and equipping young women and non-binary changemakers to take meaningful climate action and champion social justice.
Our top offer: continue to support young changemakers, delivering impressive results and impacts around well-being, confidence, and green career knowledge and opportunities.

Our top ask: If your business is interested in your staff mentoring young changemakers, contact Traci Lewis traci@catalysechange.com.

Further links

  • UK Youth 4 Nature are looking for people aged 16-35 to volunteer with them and call for decisive action on nature and wildlife in the UK.
  • Nature Youth Connection Education run creative nature workshops and provide mentoring and volunteering opportunities for young adults. They also have a community space for hire in Easton.
  • Birch Collective are a social enterprise dedicated to helping young people connect with nature and each other. They offer weekly outdoor sessions for young people and are looking for support for their work.
  • Global Goals Centre offer educational workshops for young people and are looking for more collaborators.

Come along on 6 February to hear from Bright Green Future and Bristol City Leap about their support for green skills and young people and to network with representatives from many other initiatives and Partnership members. We hope you can join us for this exciting first mingle of 2025.

Register for the Mingle

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