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School Engagement

As part of our Future Skills Strategy, we have been engaging with schools since January 2023 as we want to make sure that children are actively engaging with issues surrounding climate change in a creative and informative way, so that small changes can be made to their lives for the betterment of the planet.

Our wider green skills education strategy which is to inform young people about sustainability in general from a young age and not just focus on the energy sector alone so that they can become “ethically, informed citizens of Wales and the world” and also build the skills and knowledge base needed to become “enterprising, creative contributors who are ready to play a full part in life and work” [Curriculum for Wales].

Our visit to Trinity Fields School

School visits

We will take our lead from the school and attempt to meet their needs. However, these are examples of what we could provide:

  •  Engaging, interactive workshops with groups of pupils about climate change and renewable energy
  • Resources and lessons focusing on renewable energy and other energy sources
  • Connecting pupils with a diverse range of experienced colleagues for a question and answer session
  • Provide an information resource pack, similar to what would be provided in a public consultation
  • Connection with our EIA consultants (Environmental Impact Assessors) to learn about the work that is done before any project can go ahead
  • Problem solving and critical thinking challenges
  • Collaboration with Eco Councils
  • Work experience
  • Site visits
  • Supporting pupils with specific subjects such as Geography, Science, Engineering, Product Design etc
  • An introduction to the range of career opportunities linked to the industry

Work experience opportunities

First-hand experience of a workplace is one of the best ways to understand what it’s like to work in a job or industry. A work experience placement can help young people to look at different career options, understand how a working environment works,  what is expected of them in a workplace and provide them with valuable experiences that they can use on future applications for college, university, apprenticeships, or jobs.

Our Work Experience programme is open to pupils from year 10 onwards.

Our programme includes:

  • Meetings with colleagues from across the business who will provide an overview of their roles and an opportunity to ask any questions
  • An introduction to some of our contractors such as our EIA consultants and Comms consultants
  • Various tasks to complete which are based on the real-life work of our teams here at Bute, which and will give individuals an opportunity to develop critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration and communication skills
  • When possible, there will be off site visits to other businesses working in the sustainability sector and to our proposed energy parks site nearby
  • When possible, there will be off site visits to other businesses working in the sustainability sector and to our proposed energy parks site nearby

Click here to find out how our recent cohort enjoyed their Bute Energy experience…

Collaboration with the education sector

We know that we can’t achieve our Future Skills strategy on our own – there are organisations in Wales that can support and that’s why, as part of our green skills education programme, we work in collaboration with organisations who are embedded in the education sector.  We feel that supporting young people in this way is an essential part of our wider education strategy and a privilege as a responsible employer and developer.

These organisations include: 

  • EESW STEM Cymru: We have supported their sixth form project by providing a link engineer to set a challenge for pupils within school we have partnered with.  For two years running one of our colleagues has been a volunteer judge at the Award ceremony for the project. We support the organisation’s Girls into STEM days and have hosted 5 talented young women at our office in Cardiff
  • Institute of Physics Wales: This year we sponsored two primary schools to enter the First Lego League in collaboration with IOP Wales  – a global science and technology competition for teams of students to encourage an interest in real world issues and develop key skills that are crucial for their future careers. The students work together as a team and explore a given scientific topic and plan, program and test an autonomous robot to solve several missions. We are very pleased that Coed y Dderwen School won for Presentation and Innovation in 2024.
  • Careers Wales: We work closely with the Business Engagement Advisers at Careers Wales to support all kinds of career activities within schools arranged by them – including being part of their interview panel at mock interviews.

Click here to download example interview questions

Useful resources...

For teachers

For pupils

 

For parents

 

For employers

 

Frequently Asked Questions About our School Engagement

Can Bute Energy visit my school?

Yes! Our green skills education programme means we visit schools in all parts of Wales.

What would a school visit from Bute Energy look like?

We will take our lead from you and will tailor our workshops to meet the needs of the school and ensure that they are age appropriate. We will always ensure that the pupils are engaged and will have plenty of interactive activities to keep them interested!

We're based far from your HQ in Cardiff - can you still support my school?

Yes, we can support schools all over Wales.

How else can you support me to teach my pupils about climate change?

Contact our Education Lead she will be able to provide you with some useful websites and provide bespoke resource packages to suit your needs as a school: Catrin.leader@bute.energy

Is there a cost to your workshops?

No, the workshops are part of Bute Energy’s Community offer.

My child/pupil is interested in work experience - how do I go about arranging this with Bute Energy?

Simply contact our education lead with potential dates and she will do her best to arrange a placements that suits: Catrin.leader@bute.energy

Explore more areas of our Future Skills strategy...

Upskilling and Training
Partnerships
Social Value Standard
Future Skills Strategy