More than 170 pupils from 30 schools across the region have been inspired by careers in the green skills space after attending the first-ever Bradford Pupil Voice Sustainability Summit.
The Sustainability Summit was hosted by Bradford Council with partners Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) and Bradford College, and was held at Bradford City Football Club’s ground.
The event brought together pupils, green employers and partners from Bradford. In total, 40 partners, including the NHS, Yorkshire Water, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and educational institutions, attended the event as part of a sustainability marketplace, where pupils could meet organisations and ask questions about green skills and careers.
Pupils also had the chance to hear from local schools which were showcasing their sustainability journeys, including everything from installing solar panels to setting up eco committees. The hosts of the event, Bradford City Football Club, also provided an overview of how they are working to become more sustainable and what this journey has looked like so far. Pupils heard about their Greener Bantams, which focuses on sustainability initiatives, from reducing waste to lowering the Club’s carbon footprint.
A Year 9 pupil at Belle Vue Girls Academy said:
“The best of today was seeing what other schools are doing, especially the primary schools. It was really inspiring to see schools growing food and litter picking-it made me proud.”
The young delegates also had the opportunity to take part in workshops themed around sustainability, with topics including ‘My dream green career’ and ‘Finding joy in climate action’. Students also helped to populate a Pledge Tree, writing climate and sustainability pledges on leaves and adding them to its branches throughout the day.
The event supported pupils to improve their knowledge of sustainability initiatives and raise their awareness of potential new career routes, allowing them to network and contribute to future climate action in the region and beyond.
Matthew Hill, Deputy CFO and Sustainability Lead at BDAT, said:
“It was great to see pupils, employers and educators coming together to talk about sustainability and the careers it can lead to. Across our schools, sustainability and climate education are priorities for us and pupils already act as climate ambassadors and sit on eco committees, so this was a very valuable experience for them.
“We are incredibly proud to see our pupils developing an interest and passion for these topics. The Sustainability Summit gave them the chance to learn more about the sustainability sector and how this interest could one day become a career.”
Carol Dewhurst OBE, CEO at BDAT, said:
“We are proud to work with community partners to give our pupils the opportunity to learn about a range of careers and explore what their futures could look like. It was an incredibly enriching experience for our pupils, and we are grateful to Bradford City Football Club, Bradford Council and Bradford College for working with us to make this event a success, and to the employers and educational institutions who joined us on the day.”