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Imagine equipping your young workers with new skills that empower them to make sustainability a core focus in your business projects. Well, now you can! Join forces with HIE and Zero Waste Scotland and take up our offer for free places for 16-24 year old employees on the Highlands and Islands Powering Futures Challenge 2024.
With around 60 young people already having taken part in round one, applications are open now for our second intake starting in the new year.
The programme aims to boost the skills of your young workforce to tackle sustainability challenges head-on. It provides learning, mentoring and support to teams of young people aged 16-24 problem-solving the sustainability opportunities and challenges facing your business.
You know you want to be more efficient, climate friendly but don't know where to start? Set your young workers on a mission to explore options and find solutions.
Thanks to full funding through HIE and Zero Waste Scotland, this opportunity is open to participants from Highlands and Islands businesses, community and public sector organisations, and charities.
What can your young workers expect from this exciting opportunity?
Our aim is to foster a positive mindset and equip participants with practical skills to develop innovative, net-zero, and circular solutions. Additionally, the challenge offers a unique platform for networking and collaboration among participants from across the region, creating a more integrated and connected workforce.
We want to deliver solutions to challenges you want to address right now - set a challenge based around one of two themes:
The programme is open to businesses, organisations and charities. You can enrol young apprentices and workers, aged 16-24. If you have older employees with some knowledge in sustainability issues, we'd also be delighted to discuss support to develop mentoring skills while working with the teams.
Email Powering Futures' programme manager Joseph Trodden on the contact us link on this page to arrange a chat. Our second cohort starts in the new year, so get in touch soon!
Get in touch for more information and to sign up
Hear first hand from some of the young people taking part in round 1 of the Challenge.
Leia Pol tells us what the Ross-shire Engineering team has been doing.
Fuel Change Challenge - Leia Pol - RSEIsabel McLeish from Velocity is part of a multi-organisation team exploring how green economy employers can better recruit young people.
Fuel Change Challenge - Isabel McLeishRi Cruden is a Highland based mechanical, electrical and renewable energy contractor. With almost two decades under their belts delivering solutions for domestic and commercial clients, they have 50+ employees. Focused on supporting and investing in young talent they have an award winning apprenticeship programme. The business hires a minimum of three apprentices each year in different trades within the business. Many have scooped national apprentice of the year awards over the years, and have continued to develop their careers with the business, progressing into senior supervisor roles.
Ri Cruden put three employees through the previous Highlands and Islands Fuel Change Challenge.
Director Callum Cruden, a former apprentice himself, said: "We are proud of our award winning apprenticeship programme and are always looking at new ways to improve and be more innovative.
"The Fuel Change Challenge adds a new dynamic for our young apprentices. The focus on sustainability sits well within our business as it is a core value as we promote renewable technologies and help businesses reach their own and the countries net zero targets.
This is an exciting opportunity for the young people within our business to learn more and showcase their talents."
Find out more about the Highlands and Islands Powering Futures Challenge.
The cost of entering teams onto the 16 week programme is being completely subsidised by HIE and Zero Waste Scotland.
For each team there will be between 4-7 participants. You enter multiple teams into the challenge if you wish.
Absolutely, the Challenge is for all sizes of organisations. If you have fewer than four employees you want to enter we will match them with other smaller teams to make an overall team. This has been very successful.
The teams will spend 1-2 hours per week on the programme. Beyond this, in their own time, additional activity is their decision.
Everyone in the workforce matters and it's crucial everyone is engaged on the journey. We believe for organisations to embrace sustainability, it requires a shift in culture and in our experience this momentum is created at the grass roots, bottom-up. By truly engaging the next generation with the requisite skills, education and confidence required, they have a role in working up through the rest of the workforce to bring everyone on board.
No, this is for everyday people and as such they can be from every potential role in an organisation with no academic criteria. The only stipulation is the programme is aimed at 16-24 year olds.
Take a look at similar support services
The Fair Work programme offers specialist support to businesses and social enterprises that are based in the Highlands and Islands.
Get support through our partnership with Zero Waste Scotland to become more 'circular' and use resources more effectively within your business and cut costs.
Get support, funding and expert advice through HIE’s innovation business support programmes.
