Adapting education to the climate transition

Students at Bertha Park High School

The James Hutton Institute was delighted to co-host a workshop with Bertha Park High School and Skills Development Scotland in Perth that brought together young people, teachers, academics and business professionals to inspire educators with new knowledge to prepare young people for the climate transition.

All participants were challenged to think differently about making education fit for the future.

Hutton researchers collaborated closely with High School teachers and careers advisors to run this innovative event. The Hutton is renowned for its pioneering science that finds solutions for the challenges posed by the climate and nature crises and is committed to the training and development of the next generation of researchers.

Dr David Boldrin, Soil Scientist at the Hutton, added, “Teachers, tasked with preparing children for the future, feel similarly ill-equipped to fulfil this role and uncertain on how to guide young people towards the skills needed for climate-adaptation, so we have an increasing gap between industry demand for skills to respond to net-zero targets and the capacities of the workforce to fulfil these needs.”

Katrina Cuthbertson, Principal Teacher of Guidance at Bertha Park High School said, “The workshop exemplified the transformative potential of cross-sector collaboration in advancing sustainability, fostering innovation and equipping learners with future ready skills.” Maxine Scott, from Skills Development Scotland added, “By running this workshop we hope that we can help teachers to support young people in developing technical and person skills that align with industry needs and give young people hope for the future.”

Having a workforce equipped with green skills expertise will be critical to reaching Scottish Government’s target of net zero by 2045.

According to the LinkedIn’s 2023 Global Green Skills Report, one-third of all jobs advertised in the UK required at least one ‘green skill’, that is the skills that may be needed to develop and support a sustainable, resource-efficient society, whether through climate action planning, conservation or sustainable design. The UK’s widening green skills gap: 5 ways businesses can help to close it – HR News

At the time the report was written, only one in eight British workers possessed green skills, with the UK lagging behind several other major economies, including Germany and France.

For more information, contact Press Officer, Joyce Reid at joyce.reid@hutton.ac.uk or on 07931 551 988.