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Sustainable Careers & Skills

Project brief – thinking further

A partnership project with Solihull MBC and Solihull College & University Centre to help students interested in careers in sustainability. The project was led by the Sustainability Officers and involved students, local businesses, universities and other organisations.

This library of resources has been produced and made accessible for students to learn more about sustainability careers. In addition to the online resources a series of online events were hosted to launch the resources.

The project ideas were developed from the EAUC sustainability careers guide 2019

A wide variety of resources collated by Sarah Lardner can also be found in this Google Doc

(These are very useful resources to refer to)

Who are the resources aimed at?

  • Students in higher education (16-25 year olds – secondary school/sixth form students).
  • Students that are making course/career choices
  • Careers leaders, staff interested in sustainability and climate change

The main aims are to;

  • Provide help to students to make informed career and study choices.
  • Increase student awareness of careers in sustainability
  • Create and promote relevant careers information and career materials for students in local schools and university / college settings.

(1) Careers in sustainability

Video job profiles

Examples of ‘sustainability jobs’ for students that are interested in working in the sustainability area but aren’t sure in what role or organisation. They show jobs where sustainability is a main responsibility and focus on a variety of career paths where sustainability is more immediately obvious.

Fiona Burlow
Business Sustainability Co-ordinator, International Operations, Evershed Sutherland
(Legal Services, Colmore Row, Birmingham)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sutId5a8sne9rtVoqZg2p9WvYtNtt1Pt/view?usp=sharing

Tim Armitage
Associate Director, ARUP
(UK international engineering and business consultancy firm, Blythe Valley Park)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s_Sb366VKElgtycfOvxrmGkGemA7PUGl/view?usp=sharing

Jessica Alce
Renewable Energy Process Engineer, Strategy & Development, Severn Trent Green Power
(Organic waste management solutions, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and Composting facilities in Birmingham and other locations)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FGau4h8Ko4dphnH_jhFv1mF3AtYrR7E9/view?usp=sharing

Heather Mitchell
CEO / Founder Nommm (Sustainable food start up)
Politics and International Relations graduate from University of Birmingham.
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vLf27xuNnz0d5kbN98IDo-bJgKXLS17Q?usp=sharing

Kate Nancarrow
Executive Coordination Manager, Environment Agency in West Midlands
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oeBIKwqnxK5R7Gy646Hp4IGvbWXDr5B5?usp=sharing

Helen Osborne
Sustainable Transport Specialist at Transport for West Midlands
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16CyqswEsoYIOPk237_GKyNLGYBXfBTaI?usp=sharing

Will Hargreaves
Policy & Research Advisor (Environmental Sustainability), Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and Coventry and Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10holVOpKSui6dB4XuC7YRaMgLzeuKItr?usp=sharing

Laura Easterbrook
Senior Associate in the Ofwat Environment Team (Water Services Regulation Authority)
Bio
Recording:
 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eBhQ-J2NdPj_HdS9zkmbQTdQ3jfoUbuo/view?usp=sharing

James Jenkins
Senior Associate in the Ofwat Environment Team (Water Services Regulation Authority)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L194BSu4IYpCVX_h5YvUPqn9VYSM_Fl_/view?usp=sharing

 

Sustainability at Solihull Council

Public sector job roles – council job examples

Greener Solihull, including Climate Change Prospectus
https://www.solihull.gov.uk/Planning-and-building-control/Greener-Solihull

Careers support in Solihull
www.birminghamsolihullcareersfair.co.uk/enter

Interesting documents from a variety of organisations

 

(2) Degrees, education and courses

This resource is about University and colleges courses that include sustainability.

Change Agents

Recorded interviews with course leaders

University Academics

Dr Stuart Coles
Associate Professor at WMG, University of Warwick
Engineering modules taught- ‘Design for Sustainability’ and ‘Life Cycle Engineering for Manufacturing Systems’
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iCfM-xUjlqB1yLth8Nb0t8JqX6Pj2xel/view?usp=sharing

Katy Boom
Director of Sustainability at University of Worcester
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o3-Dlk4xzzKfrmKTqM7YZQSpFmDRKrIt/view?usp=sharing

 

Recordings of students sharing experiences of their courses

Student perspectives

Chloe Hart
Global Sustainability Masters at Exeter University BA Geography degree from Southampton
Intern at: Pukka Herbs
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gVrSVlbFLAy4N0rd3xSRks7faCQznnlk/view?usp=sharing

Lucia Tenorio
Sociology and Global Sustainable Development student at the University of Warwick
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1aXfDM2LX6Rb_Oejl9kAduM–vw1zPCqN?usp=sharing

Luke Netherclift
Sustainability and Business at Warwick University
Founder: The Human Entrepreneur / Co-founded: The People’s Backpack
Worked for: Food Intercept / Intern at: Globechain
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Q8gN2y4PxnAvHKYSzdJWweNjdNan2Car?usp=sharing

Other interesting documents….

How are universities integrating climate change awareness into teaching? by Hollie Ryan, Isadora Ferreira and Kate Raworth, November 2018 (PDF)

 

(3) Skills, volunteering and extra curricular

This resources is about extra-curricular activities, including volunteering opportunities that can help with gaining further skills in sustainability

Joining ‘green groups’ in college / university

InterClimate Network

ICN Climate Action Survey resource pack
InterClimate Network

https://interclimate.org/get-involved/

https://interclimate.org/events/solihull-virtual-sustainable-schools-summit/

Youth Parliament

Make Your Mark
https://www.byc.org.uk/uk/uk-youth-parliament/make-your-mark

Solihull MBC -Member of Youth Parliament election campaign
Recruitment poster
Solihull Youth Council poster
Solihull – MYM spotlight 2020

Volunteering opportunities

Extra curricular opportunities recordings

Holly
Galls for Environmental Justice (women to connect on sustainability / environmental activism for women)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OdLupTovJFmFnQStjJ6IGKdOBAXAZMlL/view?usp=sharing

John Butters
Founder: Too Good To Go (food saving App)
Bio
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-gWGN8nJT6pFS5uOZh2FggIJVqsNbLag/view?usp=sharing

Becca Drew
Student Green Officer, Solihull College
Recording:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DHc1zf5BNN7wqX7rwoIo9WtF2YTmdfnB/view?usp=sharing

 

Other interesting documents / web links

EAUC – The Alliance for Sustainability Leadership in Education documents

Climate Action Toolkit
https://www.eauc.org.uk/climate_action_toolkit

Climate Action Road Map
https://www.eauc.org.uk/fe_roadmap

Future Graduate Skills Study:
https://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/future_graduate_skills_a_scoping_study1

SOS Research Reports – Education and employment
https://sustainability.nus.org.uk/our-research/our-research-reports/education-and-employment

SOS Sustainability skills survey
https://sustainability.nus.org.uk/our-research/our-research-reports/education-and-employment/sustainability-skills

HEPI – Higher Education Policy Institute Report:
Beyond business as usual: Higher education in the era of climate change.
Available here:
https://www.hepi.ac.uk/2020/12/10/new-report-urges-universities-to-have-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2035-and-to-rethink-knowledge-and-teaching-practices-for-the-era-of-climate-change/