(L - R) James Davey, Will Cole and Nathan Greenough work on their final project at EDF Energy’s Gadeon House, Exeter
20 July 2010
EDF Energy has launched a Green Talent Programme for students – starting in Exeter.
Pupils from West Exe Technology College in Exeter were the first to embark on the course that brings together skill development and sustainability, supporting two of the energy company’s key commitments.
Twelve students in Year 10 became the first to complete the five-day course last week, working two days at the Eden Project in Cornwall and three days at EDF Energy’s Gadeon House office on Exeter Business Park.
The new Green Talent Programme encourages students to examine environmental and business issues, develop useful skills and provide insight into the types of jobs and career pathways available. It also encourages them to continue focusing on science, technology, engineering and maths subjects in their education.
Katya Verdonck, EDF Energy’s Head of Resourcing, said: “This is an exciting new EDF Energy initiative to engage with young people, equip them with new skills and really immerse them in the business and sustainability. It encourages them to think about the environmental impact of their behaviours, the links between business and environmental challenges and most importantly, sustainable solutions to those challenges.
“We’re delighted with how the first course went. The students from West Exe College really threw themselves into the challenges and we are delighted with how they responded.”
The ‘Environmental Experience’, at the Eden Project, gave the 14 and 15-year-olds the opportunity to explore human dependency on nature, linking through to the environmental challenges we face and how individuals, communities and businesses can work to create solutions.
In Exeter, students took part in a variety of sessions, continuing the sustainable theme with a virtual ‘energy walk’ session, low carbon workshop, team-building, a ‘manager’s story’ session, CV-writing, Green Team workshop, careers speed-dating, before ending the week by making presentations on the issue of ‘how the business is preparing itself for a low-carbon future’.
Rob Clemens, Head of Humanities at West Exe Technology College, said: “All the students enjoyed themselves and gained many skills from the experience. The Green Talent Programme is well structured and gives the young people the opportunity to see for themselves not just how a business operates, but how it is facing up to key challenges that matter to us all – how we become more sustainable and help tackle climate change. It has made them think about what contribution they will make in their future career.”
The course is being run for students in London this month, while the aim is to role it out on a wider scale across the company nationwide next year.
ENDS
For more information please contact Dan Pritchard on 01392 813783 in the EDF Energy press office.
Notes to editors
EDF Energy
EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies, producing around one-fifth of the nation's electricity from its nuclear, coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. The company provides power to a quarter of the Britain’s population via its electricity distribution networks and supplies gas and electricity to more than 5.5 million business and residential customer product accounts.
EDF Energy’s safe and secure operation of its eight existing nuclear power stations at sites across the country makes it the UK’s largest generator of low carbon electricity. EDF Energy is also leading the UK's nuclear renaissance and has published plans to build four new nuclear reactors, subject to the right investment framework. These new plants could generate enough low carbon electricity for about 40% of Britain’s homes. They would make an important contribution to the UK’s future needs for clean, secure and affordable energy. The project is already creating business and job opportunities for British companies and workers.
Through Our Sustainability Commitments, EDF Energy has launched one of the biggest environmental and social programmes of any British energy company. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company is also helping its customers and others use energy more sustainably through products and initiatives such as Team Green Britain.
EDF Energy is part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. Following the integration with British Energy in 2009, the company employs around 20,000 people at locations across the UK.