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Sustainability at the heart of problem solving
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.
What is it?
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?
- A 16-week online programme delivered by Powering Futures, specialists in business transformation.
- Only a few hours commitment per week for participants, making it easily manageable alongside their current roles.
- Comprehensive training, guidance, and mentoring to support their journey.
- The chance to develop problem-solving, team-building, and project development skills.
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.
What are the challenges?
We want to deliver solutions to challenges you want to address right now - set a challenge based around one of two themes:
- Energy costs: reduce your energy bills or explore options for your own energy sources.
- Supply chain and waste: Determine whether any of your inputs could be sourced more locally or swapped for a more sustainable alternative. Determine whether your co-products, by-products or waste streams could be used by other businesses.
Who can apply?
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.
Interested? What next?
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!
Highlands and Islands Powering Futures Challenge 2024
Get in touch for more information and to sign up
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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