With Mayoral, local and general elections approaching, this year the theme for #CollegesWeek2024 is politics. We asked some of our #GreenChangemaker students, a course delivered at Fircroft College as part of the West Midlands and Warwickshire Wider Green Skills LSIF project, what would be the one thing they would like our government to prioritise (all views their own). Each day of Colleges Week we will be posting a new request.
Monday 26th February, Tom says:
“I’d like the government to tackle our transition towards green energy. As the cost of living crisis (caused by the price of oil) rages on, it’s one of the most direct ways to help households with soaring bills as well as causing our carbon emissions to tumble. It’s a win-win for everyone except a few oil barons with our government in their pocket” #LoveOurColleges
Tuesday 27th February 2024, Megan:
Today for #CollegesWeek2024, we hear from our #GreenChangemaker student, Megan, about what hot topic she thinks the government should prioritise (all views her own). She says: “Stop issuing licences for new oil and gas and create a serious plan for a just transition to renewables, with mass retrofit and insulation of homes included. And I want carbon literacy training for all” #LoveOurColleges
Day 3 of #CollegesWeek2024 and Craig, another of our #GreenChangemakers, says “Climate action should be part of all government areas and not just one ministry. The UK’s transport ministry, for example, is currently able to assume that increases in transport emissions will be offset by reductions elsewhere in the economy. With the proposed setup, it would be required to show how its policies would contribute to emissions cuts.” #LoveOurColleges
Day 4 of #CollegesWeek2024 and Judy, another of our #GreenChangemakers, says she feels the government should prioritise (all views her own): “A distinct acknowledgement of the need to be aware of green skills within the personal development descriptor in the Ofsted EIF. I’m sure there’s a review in the offing, but to gather momentum, anything in the EIF tends to raise its profile…even to those less enlightened” #LoveOurColleges
More from our #GreenChangemakers
Day 5 of #CollegesWeek and we have more from our fabulous #GreenChangemakers (AVTO):
Dawood says: “We need to address our housing stocks’ dreadful insulation urgently as that unlocks heat pumps and energy use reductions.”
April says: “My heart is on some sort of core qualification taught at GCSE level to all. I can’t seem to distance myself from the fact it starts with the young. This would then mean that green skills become ingrained … eventually. There will be reforms to education under whoever comes after election. I wonder if the people in Westminster would have the guts to push that out? Meanwhile in FE and HE we amplify the process we are/have undertaken.”
Helen says: “I would like the government to make all new housing developments and conversions truly green. To make that possible, they would need to invest heavily in green technologies and educate the next generation on green issues. Not only by including green issues in the current PSHE curriculum, but also by creating new green issue specific FE courses, apprenticeship and training opportunities for young people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to really move things forward and bring about change for a green future.”
Vicky says: “I would ask the government to reduce waste, and promote businesses and society to use a little less of everything.”
Sam says: “Find a way to shift energy ownership from private to public or local co-operative ownership- to ensure affordable energy with local communities identifying the best solutions for their area e.g subsidised solar panels, wind turbines etc. affordable offer of membership to get buy in!”
Jenny says: “With 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions between 1988–2017*, climate education must include political education for students to understand and make use of the power of their collective voices to speak up to corporate powers.” *Verlie, B. (2021) Learning to live with climate change: From anxiety to transformation.. Routledge Focus.
Go here to find out more about the West Midlands and Warwickshire Wider Green Skills LSIF project and to book a place onto our Green Skills Conference on 18th March 2024
