Latest News

LSEC Equips Students with Essential Green Skills for a Sustainable Future

London South East Colleges (LSEC) has unveiled a forward-thinking initiative aimed at equipping future generations with the skills needed to address climate change and contribute to the green economy. The programme, designed to foster innovative and local approaches to eco-friendly skills training, seeks to prepare students for the increasing demand for green jobs while supporting the UK government’s ambitious net-zero targets.

The initiative aims to embed green skills training into existing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses, addressing a critical skills shortage in the homes and buildings sector. By incorporating sustainability and environmental concepts into the curriculum, LSEC is aligning its educational offerings with the evolving needs of both students and employers.

Early surveys highlighted the challenge ahead: only 35% of students could accurately define ‘net zero’, and just 45% understood what ‘retrofitting’ entailed. While this shows a baseline of awareness, it also underscores the need for a more robust focus on sustainability in education. The majority of students – 54% – reported feeling only moderately prepared to tackle climate change, further emphasising the need for continued engagement on green issues.

In response, LSEC invited three key external organisations to speak to STEM students across its Bromley and Holly Hill campuses. Representatives from the Greater London Authority (GLA), Kier Construction, and the Association of Colleges shared their expertise on green skills, net zero, and the construction industry’s role in combating climate change. These talks, attended by 205 students, aimed to build students’ understanding of the terminology and concepts central to sustainability, such as ‘Green Skills’, ‘Retrofit’, and ‘Net Zero’.

Phil Parle from the Association of Colleges, a key speaker at the event, highlighted the importance of retrofit skills in reducing carbon emissions and improving the efficiency of buildings. “The current students are the future in bridging the retrofit skills gap,” he said, expressing optimism about the students’ role in combating climate change.

Meanwhile, Houssam Ben Mansour, Senior Environmental Advisor at Kier Construction, stressed the urgent need for green skills, noting that “the impacts of climate change are evident now more than ever”. He underscored the importance of continuing to educate younger generations on the importance of sustainability and how they can contribute.

The talks had a significant impact, with student surveys showing a marked improvement in understanding. Post-event data revealed that 70.5% of students were able to define ‘sustainability’, and 85.5% recognised its importance. Furthermore, 60.6% of students identified the GLA’s target date for achieving net zero, while 63% could correctly define ‘green skills’.

LSEC’s efforts do not end here. Recordings of the talks will be used to reach an additional 1,500 students over the academic year, ensuring that green learning is further integrated into STEM courses. This resource will also allow teachers to revisit the sessions and continue embedding green concepts in their teaching.

The success of the event is reflected not only in the data but also in the thoughtful questions posed by students, demonstrating an eagerness to learn and engage with the pressing environmental issues of today. As LSEC continues to champion green skills education, it is helping to shape a generation ready to take on the challenges of the future.

Share!

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR
E-NEWSLETTER
Please tick here to confirm you’re happy for us to use your information to provide you with information about the Local London Skills Providers. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy