Supporting the green workforce of the future
We’re proud to be leading the energy transition as the UK moves towards a net zero future. For the energy transition to succeed, we need to ensure the UK’s workforce has the skills needed to deliver, and thrive in, a greener future. And young people are at the heart of this.
Developing future talent
Developing the skills needed to thrive in a greener future is essential and we’re working to ensure the youth of today have access to valuable training opportunities in green skills.
At the end of last year, our Net Zero Training academy delivered a training session centred around solar energy and future green skills at Hugh Baird College, in Bootle, Liverpool.
Four of our brilliant colleagues volunteered, helping to run short workshops to over 150 students in total. The students, aged 16-18, from Hugh Baird College are currently studying electrical, plumbing and gas qualifications and will be at the heart of delivering the changes needed for a greener future.
The workshops aimed to support the college's adoption of low-carbon solutions and renewable energy by showcasing our sustainable solutions, such as solar panels, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging, and their benefits. The workshops saw small groups of students gain hands-on experience with some of the solutions helping to drive a more sustainable future, including smart meters and electric vehicle chargers, helping them to understand how they work and how they align with their learning.
The students also engaged with our volunteers about the topic of green skills in general, asking questions about environmental issues, the economic impact of fossil fuels and the types of jobs available at E.ON.
But the learning doesn’t stop there. We’ve also offered students, and staff, at Hugh Baird College optional e-learning modules to complement their curriculum learning and improve their understanding of technical skills related to the energy transition.
Delivering real impact
But don’t just take our word for it, we caught up with some of our volunteers to find out what they thought about the workshops.
Amy Holbrook, Social Value Manager at E.ON UK, said: “It was great to see so many students, from various backgrounds attend our sessions at Hugh Baird College. They were all starting careers in electrical, plumbing or gas through apprenticeships and college courses. These are the foundation steps to so many careers, and it was great to see them get inspired by the stories we shared about the breadth of careers available in E.ON, in particular green/renewable jobs. I can’t wait to follow their journey over the next couple of years and see where they end up.”
Stewart Hartshorne, Technical Training and Development Specialist at our Net Zero Training Academy, said: “More than 150 staff and students actively participated in the workshop, exploring potential opportunities for renewable technologies to advance our vision and business growth. They also gained valuable insights into the environmental impact of our current demographic context and future challenges.
“The Net Zero Academy is dedicated to providing education and training for a highly skilled workforce, delivering social value on a national scale.”
Working towards a brighter future
And less than a mile away from Hugh Baird College is the Port of Liverpool, where we’re working with Peel Ports Group to install the UK's largest roof mounted solar system and support them on their net zero journey.
The project is expected to complete in mid-2026 and will generate up to 31MW of renewable energy, around 25% of the Port’s annual electricity needs – and equivalent to the needs of more than 10,000 average UK homes.
With such an ambitious project taking place right on the students’ doorstop, delivering these workshops was the perfect opportunity to spark excitement for a career in the energy industry, inspire long-term career goals and showcase E.ON’s potential as a future employer for the students at Hugh Baird College.