Industrial Cadets programme energises in Shetland

Shetland Industrial Cadets Image .jpg

  • First STEM workshops led by Engineering Development Trust (EDT) kick-off to help inspire next generation of future energy employees

  • Further workshops to take place across schools in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highlands and Angus

The first series of Industrial Cadet Challenger workshops which aim to encourage school pupils to consider a career in STEM has kicked off in Shetland.

Over 320 pupils from across Anderson High, Brae High, Sandwick High, Yell Junior High and Aith High got involved in the first round of workshops, which were led by education charity EDT (the Engineering Development Trust) and sponsored by electricity networks company SSEN Transmission.   

A further six schools across Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highlands and Angus are signed up to get involved by Christmas.   

The workshops are themed around how energy is moved through transmission networks in the north of Scotland, and what needs to be done to scale up the network to make it fit for net zero.  Pupils also got involved in some hands-on challenges including designing and building mini transmission towers out of paper and card, as well as writing some short coding for mini autonomous robots.

Led by education charity EDT, Industrial Cadets is an initiative aimed at 11–19-year-olds to help give them the skills, insights and experience needed to kick-start a career in STEM.

Inspired by His Majesty King Charles, Patron of Industrial Cadets, the initiative was set up to help encourage young people to consider careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) industries, gaining valuable skills to help them into a career. 

The collaborative partnership aims to inspire young people to understand the exciting careers open to them locally through Green Skills and Net Zero jobs.

Young people can become Industrial Cadets at gold, silver or bronze levels by undertaking a set number of hours of relevant activities designed to:

  • Give them an insight into both the employer and the industry within which they are placed.
  • Help them to develop relevant workplace skills beneficial for their CVs.
  • Help them to gain awareness of the type of jobs that are available in local industry and the routes into careers within those specialisms.

Next up the workshops will move to Moray and Aberdeenshire, with a further six schools lined up to participate before the end of the year. 

Shetland Industrial Cadets event 2.JPG

SSEN Transmission is planning to carry out the biggest overhaul to the electricity transmission network in a generation, with £20bn worth of investments known as the Pathway to 2030 programme required to create a network for net zero.  These upgrades are essential to move renewable energy from where it is generated across the north of Scotland to where it’s needed throughout Great Britain, helping in the fight against climate change and delivering energy security for the country. 

With the need to expand the high-voltage network to connect the huge increase of new renewable energy generation across Scotland to help fight climate change, SSEN Transmission is looking to support the next generation of employees who will be essential to help deliver the energy transition across the country as the UK advances towards net zero.

Nicky Gadsden, Early Career Attraction and Engagement Lead at SSEN Transmission, said: 

“We’re thrilled to see the first Industrial Cadets workshops get underway, and what better place to begin with than Shetland, where there has been a whole range of pioneering energy projects taking place. 

“It is fantastic to hear the schools involved thoroughly enjoyed the workshops, with some excellent participation in the challenges set for them – including some very enthusiastic competition amongst teams!

“The Industrial Cadets initiative is so important to give young people a taste of what they can do with a career in energy and how they can play a part in the fight against climate change and help create a network for net zero. 

“We’re looking forward to the next workshops continuing in Moray and Aberdeenshire and demonstrating the huge variety of opportunities that are available to young people in the green energy sector.”

Julie Feest, CEO at the Engineering Development Trust said,

“We are delighted to continue our work with SSEN Transmission, ensuring that schools in the Highlands & Islands understand the fantastic opportunities and careers that await them in such a thriving sector.

“At the core of what we do is ensuring young people develop work-readiness skills to prepare the next generation for the world of work. Through our key partnerships we are committed to connecting young people with a range of exciting STEM industries while supporting companies to develop and grow early talent pipelines.”

SSEN Transmission is at the forefront of the UK’s efforts to tackle the climate emergency by creating a network for net zero emissions and connecting and transporting Scotland’s vast renewable resources to where it is needed most.   The business is growing rapidly having recently celebrated its 2000th team member joining the business, and with new office spaces opening in Inverness and Aberdeen.

The company is committed to supporting early career development and have been a proud member of The 5% Club since 2021.  This means that at least 5% of all employees across the business in ‘earn as you learn’ roles, from apprenticeships to graduate placements.

Over 500 new roles are being created this year, with jobs based throughout Scotland.

To learn more about what careers are currently available with SSEN Transmission, visit SSE Careers at https://careers.sse.com/.