By James Bonthron
Green careers employers and local experts will be sharing their knowledge and skills with Thanet-based young people this week, thanks to an experience day delivered by Co-relate Communication CIC and funded by Social Enterprise Kent’s BOOST fund.
Following on from April’s successful green skills introductory workshops, Co-relate is offering a free experience day, aimed at 16-25 year olds, taking place on 27 September at The Margate Caves.
Participants will hear from organisations including offshore wind farm RWE London Array; sustainable food growers, GrowUp Farms and upcycled fashion outlet Waste Will Save Us.
Speakers include:
- Sarah Higgs, business support and apprentice mentor at RWE’s London Array offshore wind farm, which is operated and run from the Port of Ramsgate and generates enough clean electricity to power around 584,000 UK homes. Sarah will share insights about the apprenticeship scheme and what it’s like working a London Array.
- Robert Nithsdale, Operations Director at GrowUp Farms, the vertical farm based in Sandwich runs on 100% renewable energy. Robert will tell the story of how GrowUp Farms started, how it’s going (and growing), and share info about the GrowUp apprenticeship scheme.
- Amina Sefiani, a designer, stylist, and founder of Waste Will Save Us. Amina has over two decades of experience in the fashion industry, where she witnessed the environmental and social costs of fast fashion.
- Helen Smith, Environment and Play Worker at Windmill Community Gardens Margate. Windmill runs a community garden and a market garden alongside year-round events and activities to improve people’s physical and mental health, wellbeing, and community cohesion.
- Bird Wise East Kent, a partnership of local authorities and conservation organisations, working together to mitigate disturbance to birds that winter in East Kent.
- Louisa Harris, who lectures in Sustainable Business at Cambridge University’s Institute of Sustainable Leadership.
- Jessica Rose, Founder of Co-relate and Plastic Free Thanet.
The event will explore the skills needed for green careers and will help young people to create a career action plan.
Co-relate managing director, Jessica Rose, said: “Thanet’s green job opportunities are growing every year and we want to make sure local young people can benefit from them. “Following our successful workshops earlier this year, we’ve pulled together some fantastic speakers to help demystify what green skills and jobs are, where they are and how you can get into them. We’re making it fun, interactive and free to attend.”
‘Making climate action happen: green skills and careers’ will explore skills and careers in sustainability, allow participants to meet experts in sustainability-focused jobs and organisations, and create their own career action plans.
The opportunity is open to young people across Thanet and organisers don’t want travel costs to be a barrier so they are also able to refund young people’s travel expenses.
Sign up to the experience day on Eventbrite and get in touch with [email protected] for more details or to request support with travel costs.
It’s been a while since one of them was a young adult…
Luckily my teenager doesn’t see age as a barrier, Peter. She’s happy to learn from anyone who has something interesting to say.
People are never too young or too old to leaarn, but should someone who is clearly of a more ‘mature’ age be in a class meant for 16-25 year olds? If the answer is “yes”, then the ‘Young Adults’ advertising should be removed.
Well said, Liz. I believe the event takes place on 27th September and with an impressive array of speakers, too. I hope your teenager enjoys the day!