Inspiring green futures

In this blog, Laura shares how the Green Futures card pack is inspiring the next generation through representing and supporting diverse role models in green jobs. Dr Laura Fogg Rogers manages the Inspire Sustainability team within the Science Communication Unit at UWE Bristol.

The climate and ecological emergency can feel scary for young people, but our research shows that finding out about people taking action can encourage hope. That’s why the Inspire Sustainability education outreach team at UWE Bristol is focussing on green jobs to inspire young people in schools.

What is a green job?

The new Green Futures card pack features 48 diverse role models from across the West of England, in a wide variety of green jobs. One of the first concepts the new card pack tackles is ‘what is a green job’? We’ve been using the definition from the West of England Combined Authority, which identifies a green job as one which “contributes towards reducing emissions, lowering the carbon footprint and protecting the environment”.

These jobs are divided into 11 families, which range from energy and transport, to food and nature, through to citizenship and leisure. The families are used in a Top Trumps style card game, which engages children in primary and secondary schools about these career pathways. Each job role has green skills rating scales – used in the Top Trump card game – which also links out to real career guidance on UWE’s Curiosity Connections website. And the final card family focusses on future jobs, which have been designed with children from local primary schools.

Lesson material exploring the card deck and green careers are all curriculum linked with hands-on activities that enable students to relate required curriculum knowledge to real-world careers. The workshops address several Gatsby benchmarks for careers guidance and are linked to essential skill development. The core funding for this project is for key stage 2 and key stage 3 pupils, but the team is experienced in delivering to all ages and can easily adapt materials.

Green jobs role models

Meeting the people behind the cartoons was a key highlight for the team at the launch event in March 2025. Over 30 diverse people got together to share how they are reducing emissions and helping the environment, from artworks, to graveyard biodiversity, to electric vehicle apps. The cards are not only educational for children but for adults too!

The development partnership included education outreach group My Future My Choice, who are experienced at developing and delivering similar card packs for young people. Role modelling specialists Graphic Science, who are the South West STEM Ambassadors partner, helped to network and find the jobs representatives. Plus, our partnership with the Natural History Consortium also enabled the team to feature local nature jobs. Many of these real role models will play a key role in the upcoming Festival of Nature in June.

How can you help to inspire hope for young people?

The card packs are currently being used by the Inspire Sustainability team to deliver green jobs sessions in schools across the West of England. You can book the team in to deliver with your local school or Alternative Learning Provision for free by emailing engineeringourfuture@uwe.ac.uk

You might also like to use the website materials to talk about green careers with any young people or families that you know: What’s next? Pathways after school – Curiosity Connections

And perhaps you want to assess your own green skills? You can take some strengths quizzes using our British Science Week pack here: Activity packs – British Science Week

See if you can spot any Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership team members in the Green Futures card pack! Explore local Green jobs – Curiosity Connections