Net Zero is something everybody needs to know about, to help work towards stopping carbon emissions and halt climate change, that’s why NPTC Group of Colleges teamed up with Inspiring Skills Wales’s Net Zero Skills Research to deliver an exciting student conference recently.
The Net Zero Skills Symposium: Shaping the Future of Further Education Conference aimed to empower students by fostering a deep understanding of net zero initiatives in Neath Port Talbot and Wales and to inspire and equip them to actively contribute to a sustainable and net zero future.
Kathryn Dunstan, Director of Partnerships explained: “We’re delighted to host the first Net Zero Skills Symposium at the College. This is a collaboration with a number of different exhibitors and speakers from across the industry. Our region is changing and there are new opportunities for our students emerging all the time.
Our students have been drawn from a selection of courses, from Construction, Building and Engineering Services, and our STEM students, to showcase the opportunities that are available to them in the region and will be available to them in the future.”
The conference was opened by Counsellor Jeremy Hurley, Neath Port Talbot’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Economic Growth, who explained the many initiatives the local authority already has in place to tackle climate change and the future large, sustainably led projects, many involving green energy, that will be providing a variety jobs and careers pathways for our students.
The College welcomed a diverse range of sustainably focused businesses, including Morgan Advance Materials, Bute Energy, NPTC Group of Colleges’ own Net Zero Academy, Y Lle Da Neath, Benthyg Cymru, Swansea University, NPTC Group of Colleges’ Sustainable Fashion course, Wildfox Ltd and Cyfle Building Skills, who all took part in a speed circuit with the students.
Interactive workshops were held by Phill Williams from Pla-It Eco, focusing on the effects on the rainforest, Jonathan Morris, from Tai Tarian and Richard Hawkins from SO Modular about how the industry is striving for Net Zero Construction.
Richard Hawkins from SO Modular was delighted to attend and said: “It’s great to be at Neath College today to see a range of different companies with a vast range of different technologies promoting Net Zero and promoting that to the future of the construction and engineering industries”.
Jonathan Morris from Tai Tarian went on to say: “Net Zero is a huge issue in terms of housing, over £4 billion worth of work is needed in the social housing sector alone to bring the housing up to a net zero standard. Out of that comes skills and training and work opportunities and employment for a vast number of people, if we seize that opportunity with both hands.”
In addition, students were able to ‘get involved’ and try out some engaging activities such as pedal power bikes which power a music system when pedaled, the latest VR technology and ECO House from the Welsh government’s ‘Have a Go’ initiative.
Level 3 Engineering student James Rowlands-Lean, was eager to give his feedback on the conference, he said: “It’s been a really interesting event, very informative. There’s a lot of scope within this particular sector which could be beneficial for those going through the same course that I am on. There’s been a lot of different opportunities presented here with loads of ways in which companies are developing new jobs within the industry, which will be incredibly beneficial to future generations.”
To find out about our commitment to a Net Zero future, visit our Net Zero Academy.
