The UK’s largest municipal bus company, Lothian Buses, has paired up with social enterprise Powering Futures to take eight of its apprentice engineers through the Challenge Programme – a pioneering workplace skills development programme focused on sustainability and future business prosperity.
Participants in the Challenge Programme will collaborate on a solution to a sustainability challenge set by Lothian Buses, and present that solution to a panel of industry-leading judges – developing their skills in innovation, networking and collaboration.
The challenge to be tackled by the Lothian Buses apprentice engineers is reduction in the use of energy, particularly gas, across the Lothian Buses estate – with company bosses undertaking to implement the creative solutions which Challenge Programme participants come up with at the end of the process.
Powering Futures was set up in 2020 to empower the young and future workforce with the skills, critical thinking, and enthusiasm to help their organisation transition to net zero.
Partnering with businesses to help them solve real-time climate change challenges, Powering Futures tasks teams of 16–25-year-olds with solving a sustainability problem set by industry or their employer and supports them in coming up with creative solutions through teamwork and climate skills.
Colin Barnes, Director of Engineering at Lothian Buses said: “As the main bus operator in Edinburgh, we are fully committed to ensuring we play our part in reducing emissions across Edinburgh and the Lothians, including within our premises and plan to become fully net zero by 2035.
“We are excited to be working with Powering Futures to encourage and empower our young workforce to come up with the solutions to the challenge of energy use.
“Our younger colleagues will look at these issues in a different way to those who have been in the business for a long time, and we are confident that their suggestions will inspire a step-change in how this sustainability challenge is approached. Nothing is off limits.”
The Lothian Buses Powering Futures Challenge got underway this week, with Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith where Lothian Buses is headquartered visiting the Lothian Buses Central Depot to meet the Challenge participants.
Ben Macpherson MSP said: “It’s great that Powering Futures and Lothian Buses are working together to help empower the young workforce.
“The Challenging Programme will equip participants with key skills for their career, and also bring forward innovative, new ideas for how Lothian Buses can continue to lead in decarbonising the transport sector.”
Since launching in 2020, the Powering Futures Challenge Programme has engaged over 3,000 young people across Scotland, including those working in well-known organisations such as Scottish Water, Forth Ports and Booth Welsh.
In October, Booth Welsh reported that the sustainability solution implemented after its young workforce took part in the Powering Futures Challenge Programme had cut gas usage by 80%, at a saving of £40,000 annually for the business.
Jennifer Tempany, Co-Founder of Powering Futures said: “We are delighted to be working with Lothian Buses to bring this pioneering initiative to their young workforce.
“The transport sector is understandably a major focus area in the transition towards net zero, but it’s also where we are seeing some of the most innovative solutions to sustainability challenges.
“Through the Powering Futures Challenge Programme, we are empowering tomorrow’s business leaders to solve real-time sustainability challenges and work towards future economic prosperity.
“We believe that economic prosperity and sustainability exist together – and the example set by previous Challenge participants proves that the model works for businesses, the young workforce, and the climate.
“We are excited to work with the team at Lothian Buses to empower the young workforce and bring their creative sustainability solutions to life.”
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