Wednesday 6 July 2022
London-wide school programme to inspire next generation into green careers
A school programme aimed at encouraging and empowering young people to help tackle the climate emergency, air pollution and loss of wildlife in London has been launched.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has launched this year's Climate Kick-Start programme to inspire more secondary school students into green careers, supported by Bloomberg LP and Let's Go Zero 2030.
They aim to respond to the growing demand for skills in renewable energy, home energy efficiency, green finance and electric transport, with a week of career-focused activities scheduled to take place from 7th to 11th November 2022, coinciding with the first week of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.
Four green careers events, as well as drop-in activities at secondary schools for students unable to travel, will be held in London, giving them an insight into the broad range of green jobs on offer.
Five schools will also be awarded £10,000 each to support environmental action and provide students with the practical experience of designing and implementing environmental solutions.
In addition, a digital green careers toolkit will be made available to all secondary schools in London, giving advice on accessing green jobs, how they help to reduce damage to the planet and what GCSEs and future pathways will best prepare students for green careers.
Mr Khan said: “I am thrilled to announce the return of our Climate Kick-Start programme. These activities will empower young Londoners to tackle the dangers of the climate emergency, air pollution and the loss of wildlife.
“We need to take bold action now and I’m keen for young Londoners, the future leaders of our city, to help us build a better London for everyone – a safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all.
“Green jobs and skills are integral to help tackle inequality by providing better paid work as well as providing the vital skills needed to tackle the climate crisis. I hope that through this programme, young Londoners can see how important these jobs are and choose green careers in the future.”
Last year, more than 66,000 secondary students from across London took part in the programme during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
Jemma Read, Global Head of Corporate Philanthropy at Bloomberg LP added: “Tackling climate change requires innovative thinking and collaboration across society. Through our work with London’s young people, we know that they have bold ideas to help protect the natural world and are determined to lead sustainable change in their communities.
“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Mayor of London to accelerate creative solutions and inspire the next generation.”
