Six energy giants have partnered with business transformation enterprise Fuel Change to bring a pioneering sustainability and skills development programme to the next generation of Scottish employees.

SSE, Forth Ports, BAM, AECOM, VisitScotland and Intelligent Growth Solutions have each set a challenge, based on a real-life sustainability issue facing their business, which participants in Fuel Change's inaugural National Workplace Challenge will be tasked with solving when the programme gets underway in UK businesses next year.

Fuel Change is a business transformation enterprise that is engaging the Next Generation to drive a positive transition to net zero through skills development. The Fuel Change National Challenge is a unique 16-week programme in which Next Generation participants aged 16-25 take on a real-world climate challenge, collaborate on a solution, and present it. The National Challenge questions, set by SSE, Forth Ports, BAM, AECOM, VisitScotland and Intelligent Growth Solutions, will see participants tackle topics encompassing the energy transition, logistics, decarbonising town centres, food production, and sustainable tourism.

The National Challenge is already underway in 21 pathfinder secondary schools across Scotland that are undertaking the Fuel Change Challenge for Education - an SCQF-level 6 accredited programme for senior-phase high school and college students which combines climate literacy and employability skills as they prepare to move into the workplace.

And with the National Workplace Challenge kicking off in February 2023, Fuel Change and its six industry partners have today launched a drive to UK businesses to sign up to participate in the pioneering programme, which has been proven to develop and educate the Next Generation workforce and solve organisational challenges.

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The drive was launched at Fuel Change Live! - a one-day showcase of the Challenge programme in action, hosted by Fuel Change at Edinburgh's Dynamic Earth on 2 November. The event was attended by more than 50 school pupils from across Scotland who took part in a 'super sprint' National Challenge demonstration to business leaders and the Scottish Government Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work, Richard Lochhead MSP.

Mr Lochhead said: "It's fantastic to be working with our six industry partners to bring the pioneering National Challenge to Scotland's Next Generation in schools, colleges and the workplace. Many businesses see sustainability as a cost. We've proven that it is an opportunity. Having founded Fuel Change in 2020, we have already worked with 1,500 participants and established partnerships with 115 organisations to solve decarbonisation challenges and unleash talent within the Next Generation. It's the organisations that are investing in their employees and creatively tackling sustainability issues that are going to have the most success in years to come. That is why Fuel Change, and our industry partners, are calling on every UK business - big or small - to engage with the National Workplace Challenge in 2023."

Jen Tempany, Chief Operating Officer at Fuel Change, added: "Everyday businesses and the Next Generation who power them don't want to stop the world and get off. Working alongside our six challenge setters, the Fuel Change National Challenge is empowering the Next Generation to change the world so that they can stay on."

Ian Parish, Executive Director, BAM Nuttall, said: "Transitioning to a new energy mix, will require new skills and ways of thinking. The Fuel Change's National Challenge gives us the opportunity to engage with the next generation of workers and give them to chance to shape the transition to net zero. Engaging with the next generation is really important to us and our partner SSE, and that's why our challenge focuses on how we can create a flow of talent and materials to support the transition to energy operations. We are looking forward to seeing all the submissions and exploring how we can adopt some of the solutions in our business."

Bethan May Freire, Head of Sustainability Reporting at SSE, said: "We're delighted to be taking part in Fuel Change's National Challenges this year. To deliver the energy transition we're going to need innovative solutions from a future workforce with diverse perspectives, different experiences and new skills. The National Challenges provide a unique way for us to engage with the next generation who will be crucial in addressing the net zero challenge. None of us can address these future challenges alone, which is why SSE and BAM have partnered on setting our National Challenge and we're really excited to hear the creative solutions that they come up with."