Youngsters to get chance to design their own ‘eco school’ for net zero skills challenge 

One of Scotland’s longest-running science and engineering education initiatives has teamed up with a global engineering company to equip young people with the skills needed to tackle climate change.

To inspire future scientists and engineers into green careers, the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s (SCDI) Young Engineers & Science Clubs (YESC) and Wood are giving pupils the chance to design their own eco school.

Wood is funding the rollout of the ‘climate smarter’ project to 30 new schools in Dundee, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, who will join schools currently taking part in the project across the Highlands and Fife.

Membership body SCDI says that to meet Scotland’s ambitions to be a net zero nation and transition to low-carbon energy sources, the country will need to create and fill the new green jobs of the future.

Former Skyscanner executive and author of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review, Mark Logan said the YESC plays an “essential role” in Scotland’s technology ecosystem by sparking the curiosity and interest of young people in engineering and science.

He said: “It moves children from classroom theory to real-world application and gives them a taste of what it feels like to work in such an exciting industry. 

“The YESC team has created very exciting projects that engage young people in the search for solutions to the problems that we face as a society. What could be more valuable than that?”

The climate smarter scheme challenges schools to design and model a sustainable smart eco school of the future, offering:

• 30 additional schools a competition challenge to work towards and a chance to attend a celebration event
• Free kit and resources to support pupils and teachers and a fun learning opportunity with climate, digital skills, numeracy and literacy in-built
• Continuous professional development for teachers drawing on cutting-edge industry insight
• Volunteer opportunities for employees at Wood
• Pupils the chance to learn about the diverse range of careers at Wood

Sara Thiam, chief executive of the SCDI, said: “Scotland is facing a STEM skills gap. Young Engineers and Science Clubs have been inspiring young people in Scotland towards STEM careers for over 30 years.

“This new partnership with Wood allows us to reach even more schools in Scotland and inspire them to new careers in clean energy”

Paula Murphy, SCDI’s chief communications and marketing officer, added: “Delivering our net-zero ambitions will be one of the defining challenges of the next generation.

“This partnership aims to inspire young students to pursue a career in STEM so they can play a part in shaping the technical solutions required to drive down emissions and scale up the supply of low-carbon energy.”

Wood, originally a family-owned fishing business, was transformed into a multinational oil services company by Scottish businessman Sir Ian Wood. Now retired, he served as the company’s chief executive from 1967 to 2006, and as chairman until 2012.

Wood is one of Scotland’s wealthiest people, with an estimated net worth of around £1.7 billion.