BLOG – Green Careers Week: Creating Pathways to a Greener Future
At Groundwork Greater Manchester, one of our core goals as a charity is to help people improve their life chances, and one of the most powerful ways we do this is through training and employment.
As part of our 2023-2026 strategy, we committed to expanding our green skills provision, building on our existing activities. Our mission was to create more inclusive pathways into green careers across sectors such as the natural environment, retrofit and construction and energy advice.
As we come to the end of the strategy period, we have successfully developed a robust programme including the Cadent Green Doctor Academy and Connect Oldham & Tameside. These programmes support under-represented groups to develop skills and gain employment, ensuring that everyone benefits from the opportunities created by the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Green Careers Week (3rd–9th November) is a national celebration of the growing green economy and this year, our team is busier than ever!
In this blog, we share some of the activities we’ll be involved in throughout the week.
Monday
One of our Sustainable Business Consultant’s Pratyush Shukla will be at Ashton on Mersey School in Sale talking to year 11 students about the exciting and fast-growing field of sustainability consulting. He will explain how Groundwork consultants help businesses save energy, cut carbon and build a greener future.
Tuesday
Our Green Skills Manager Kelly will be hosting a Workplace Safari at Trafford Ecology Park for a group of Year 8 students from Lostock High School in Stretford.
Students will meet with a wide range of people who work in green careers at Groundwork, from Urban Rangers to Energy Efficiency Advisors.
This will be an inspiring day for the young people discovering the wide variety of exciting careers in the Green Economy!
Wednesday
You’ll find members of the Groundwork team at Victoria Train Station today for the Our Green Working Lives event run by The University of Manchester, with the support of Manchester City Council & TfGM.
We’ll be sharing information about green jobs and career pathways, including information about working for Groundwork.
Thursday
Our Director of Employment & Enterprise, Venetia Knight will be attending the ESRC’s Festival of Social Science event at the Mechanics Institute in Manchester. She’ll join the panel and talk about the skills needed for the growing green economy, the challenges in closing the skills gap, and role of Groundwork and the VCSFE sector in building future workforce.
Friday
Green Skills Manager Kelly will be working with young people from our King Trust Team Programme today. Kelly as arranged a visit to the RHS Bridgewater, a slight change to the learners typical week and part of the RHS’s New Shoots programme, which encourages young people from diverse backgrounds into nature based, green skilled careers.