Empowering Scottish Students to consider a future in Renewable Energy
Members of the Eden team from the USA and London joined forces with our friends at Earth Energy Education for an educational STEM careers webinar with students from Farr High School in the Scottish Highlands.
The school is close to our proposed Bettyhill wind farm - an area so windy that the other local school we invited could not join as high winds had severely damaged the school that morning!
The webinar aimed to educate young people about wind power and inspire them to consider careers in renewable energy or another environmental field. At the start of the webinar students stated their current career aspirations which ranged from becoming a footballer to an electrical engineer.
After discussing the scientific principles of wind energy, the webinar highlighted Scotland's remarkable progress in renewable energy policy towards net zero. Professionals noted the ambitious targets for renewable energy generation, and breakthrough technology innovations in the size of turbines are a driving force for the transition towards a sustainable future.
We also discussed the challenges in site acquisition, grid connection, and planning constraints, such as the need for multi-year bird surveys to ensure local habitats wouldn’t be disturbed.
Picking up on the careers theme our team shared anecdotes and insights into their professional journeys, illustrating the diverse array of roles in the renewable energy industry. From engineering and project management to environmental science and policy advocacy, students can choose from a wide variety of career opportunities to match their interests and skill sets.
The transition to a sustainable future requires a multidisciplinary approach with roles ranging from wind turbine technicians to ecologists.
We were very pleased by the interesting questions and positive feedback from students, many of whom expressed enthusiasm for exploring careers in renewable energy. By empowering the next generation with knowledge and ambition, we hope to pave the way towards a brighter, greener future for future generations.