Green Skills Pathway Highlands
WHAT IS THE SKILLS PATHWAY?
The Pathway empowers both schools and students by providing relevant, future-focused learning opportunities that align with sustainability and workforce development goals It aims to:
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Develop Green Sector Skills: Equip young learners with key skills needed for careers in the green sector
Raise Awareness: Increase awareness of green industries, pathways to engineering and environmental sustainability among school students, helping them understand the importance of these sectors in the future economy
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Engage Young Learners: Provide engaging, hands-on educational programmes that introduce students to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects and enterprise, with a focus on green careers and businesses
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Support Local Communities: Enhance educational opportunities in the Highland region, aligning with local and national goals for green economy and enterprise growth, and workforce development.
Benefits to Schools
Access to tailored educational programmes that enhance STEM and enterprise learning with a green economy focus.
Alignment with Scotland’s National Curriculum and sustainability initiatives, supporting wholeschool improvement.
Strengthened community and industry connections through partnerships with green sector organisations and initiatives.
Benefits to Young People
Development of key skills and knowledge for careers in the growing green and engineering sectors.
Increased awareness of sustainable practices and future career pathways in STEM and environmental fields.
Hands-on, engaging learning experiences that build problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork skills.
The Green Skills Pathway - Highland is a partnership between Young Enterprise Scotland, Primary Engineer and Science Skills Academy, funded by SSE Renewables.
SSE Renewables are the leading developer and operator of renewable energy generation, focusing on onshore and offshore wind, hydro, solar and battery storage.
Their focus is on the UK and Ireland, with a growing international presence cted markets in Continental Europe and Japan.
WE’RE FOR A BETTER WORLD OF ENERGY.
They are renewable energy pioneers with over 20 years’ skilled expertise in delivering world-class wind, solar and battery storage projects and assets. All built on over 80 years’ heritage in hydro energy production in the heart of the Scottish Highlands.
Their team of over 2,000 renewable energy professionals are continuing to deliver today, and for tomorrow.
SSE Renewables’ Goals
Lead the transition to a net zero future.
Deliver cleaner energy.
Increase operational renewable generation capacity. Construct wind, hydro, solar, and battery capacity.
And for this funded project, SSE Renewables’ goal is to inspire young people and highlight the vital role of renewable energy in shaping a sustainable future for us all.
Green Skills Pathways - Highland
From student to teacher, find the right programme for you!
Simply click on the programme you are interested in for more details.
P4 - S3
STATWARS Competition
Primary Engineer
S1 - S2
Nursery - S6
Leaders Award Competition
Primary Engineer
P6 - P7
Energy Module
Science Skills Academy
Renewable Energy Module
Science Skills Academy
Science Skills Academy NEW FOR 2025/26
S1 - S2
Green Skills Module
S1 - S3
Circular Economy Challenge
Young Enterprise Scotland
S3 - S6 (15+)
Team Programme ASN
Young Enterprise Scotland
S5 - S6
Company Programme
Y E terprise Scotland
Teacher Info Sessions
Circular Economy Challenge
Young Enterprise Scotland
Teacher CPD Short Course
Engineering STEM in the classroom
Primary Engineer
High School Teacher
CPD Short Course
Engineering A Career
Primary Engineer
Primary Engineer
Since 2005, Primary Engineer, have developed an engineering curriculum that spans Early Years, Primary, Secondary and Further Education institutions.
Our core aims include: the development of children and young people through engagement with engineering, the promotion of engineering careers through inspiring programmes and competitions, the development of engineering skills for teachers and practitioners addressing the inequalities in engineering.
We have developed a project-based learning approach to education which enables children and pupils to engage with practical maths and science alongside creative problem solving and literacy. Strong links to engineers and the industries they work in provide an opportunity for both pupils and teachers to expand their knowledge of careers, career paths and opportunities.
Leaders Award Competition - Nursery to S6
This free STEM annual competition is open to all pupils aged 3-19 and asks the question, “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” Pupils are tasked with interviewing an engineer, where they get the opportunity to ask the questions that matter to them, before coming up with their own engineering ideas.
Every pupil who takes part receives a graded certificate from a professional engineer and is invited to our Awards and Public Exhibitions at the end of the school year which are hosted all across the UK. Entries are then selected by University and Industry Partners to be turned into working prototypes, showing that young people’s ideas can make real world change.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE AND REGISTER FOR FREE HERE!
STATWARS: Climate Change Challenge - P4 through to S3
The UK’s leading data challenge in Primary and Secondary schools.
The STATWARS: Climate Change Challenge empowers and educates pupils aged 8 – 14 years old to tackle climate change using data they capture themselves. Pupils use our Carbon Footprint Calculator to calculate their own carbon footprint, then use this data to identify three changes they can personally make in their daily lives to help tackle climate change.
Working in teams, pupils use their data skills to communicate these changes and try to encourage others to change their habits for the betterment of the planet
There is £5000 worth of prizes up for grabs, with the first 200 teams who submit entries also receiving a customised bag of seeds to help the biodiversity of the community.
YOU CAN LEARN MORE AND REGISTER FOR FREE HERE!
Engineering STEM in the Classroom - Teacher CPD Short Course
Endorsed by Education Scotland with funded spaces available in the Highlands & Islands.
Engineering STEM in the Classroom is a fully funded CPD course provided by Primary Engineer as part of the SSE Green Skills Pathway. This course enables teachers to gain a deeper understanding of engineering, career paths within the field, and strategies to create a STEM-focused curriculum that supports their students’ learning and engagement. The course features a combination of guided and self-guided study over 16 weeks.
Through interactive sessions with at least six engineers from diverse industries, you’ll deepen your understanding of engineering, its career pathways, and its role in STEM education. You’ll also create a reflective log, build industry connections, and gain practical tools to enhance your STEM curriculum.
Supported by Primary Engineer, this course equips you to:
Develop critical research and evaluation skills.
Lead curriculum improvements and professional learning in your school
Embed Engineering Habits of Mind into your teaching
Thanks to support from SSE we have 44 funded spaces available for teachers and practitioners in the Highlands & Islands.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED YOU CAN LEARN MORE AND BOOK YOUR PLACE ON OUR WEBSITE!
‘Engineering
A Career’ - Teacher CPD Short Course
A CPD Accredited course that identifies the career pathways in all subjects
Engineering a Career is a 15 week course that identifies the links to engineering in every school subject, meaning that pupils who show aptitudes for engineering in any subject can be encouraged to look at that career path It is fully funded, with cover costs included, for teachers, practitioners and careers
Through hands-on activities, live school competitions, and industry insights, you’ll gain practical tools to deliver high-quality careers guidance aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks and Career Education Standard 3-18.
Collaborate with peers, connect with engineering professionals, and even visit an industry site all with the support of Primary Engineer, an expert in engineering at STEM training for teachers.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED YOU CAN LEARN MORE AND BOOK YOUR PLACE ON OUR WEBSITE.
Science Skills Academy
With thousands of high-quality jobs on the horizon in biosciences, digital skills, renewable energy and the space sector, Science Skills Academy (SSA) is here to inspire young people across Highland and ensure equal access to STEM provision for all.
SSA have a network of inspirational STEM venues serving the entire Highland region with a wide range of free, exciting, hands-on STEM experiences. We're working with schools, employers and communities to engage young people to consider their STEM future in Highland. We're a multi-partnership project led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and funded through the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal and other industry partners.
Energy Module - P6 to P7's
In this module, pupils will take on challenges that reflect some of the skills and careers that are part of the Scottish energy sector.
Focusing on turbines, energy storage and engineering, Pupils will learn the fundamentals of energy and why it’s so important in our every day lives. They will investigate energy transformation, generation and storage through practical experiments, such as building their own battery.
They will also learn about energy wastage and the energy-saving devices that can help prevent this.
The maximum number of pupils per session is 32.
Renewable Energy Module - S1 to S2's
In this Module, pupils will run experiments to investigate the conservation of energy and work with magnets and coils to explore how electricity is generated.
They will use industry relevant skills to generate and measure electrical energy from renewable sources such as water and wind. We will also explore how these skills relate to careers in the energy sector.
The maximum number of pupils per session is 20.
New for 2025/26 - Green Skills Module aimed at S1 to S2's. Further details and information coming soon!
READY TO BOOK?
To book your students in or for more information on either of these modules simply head to the link below.
Here you will be able chose which of our rooms is closest to you and select the module you want. Follow the instructions to book in a day that suits you best.
Young Enterprise Scotland
Since 1992, Young Enterprise Scotland has delivered a wide array of programmes designed to inspire and equip the young people of Scotland to learn, develop and reach their full potential through enterprise and financial education.
Our vision is to create a Scotland where all young people have the opportunity to succeed in work and life.
Every year YE Scotland support around 16,000 young people, from all bacgkrounds, to develop business and sustainability knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and ultimately become more employable.
Circular Economy Challenge - S1 to S3
This programme introduces young people to the Circular Economy, where everything has value, and nothing is wasted. Pupils will design a ‘circular’ product or service and present their ideas to a judging panel.
The challenge develops enterprise skills, offering insights into business, design, and technology Pupils will create a company, conduct market research, develop a business plan, and design a logo for their product or service.
Circular Economy Challenge - Teacher Sessions
The online Teacher Information Session provides a comprehensive overview of the programme to practitioners; giving insight into the lesson plans and resources, highlighting key dates and sharing important curricular links. Most importantly, the session introduces teachers to the concept of the circular economy through exploring case studies of real life circular business practices. It provides teachers with an opportunity to ask any questions they have around the resources or the challenge itself
Head HERE, to sign up to everything CEC related.
Not sure if this is the programme for you or your class?
Why not hear from students and teachers who have already participated in the programme?
Click on the video to learn more!
Company Programme - S5 to S6
The Company Programme is Young Enterprise Scotland’s most immersive programme, which provides a real-life learning opportunity that introduces young people to the realities of the world of work.
Running over the course of a full academic year, young people from S5 and S6 start up their own student company, running through the key milestones of developing an idea, conducting market research, creating the product or service, promoting that product and ultimately trading it.
Company Programme can be used to provide a real-life context to many subject areas such as: design and computing used to create the product, English to develop persuasive language for marketing, and even maths to establish a profitable selling price
The Company Programme has already started for academic year 24/25 but why not learn more about the programme and get ready to sign up your class for 25/26?
For more information click HERE.
Team Programme - S3-S6
The Team Programme is a year-long enterprise journey for students over the age of 15 who have mild to moderate additional support needs.
Designed to aid young people’s transition from education into independent living and employment, the Team Programme develops confidence and life skills through teamwork, to set up and run an enterprise.
Students interact with adults and grow in confidence as they run their own student company. They take on all decision-making related to their enterprise, such as deciding on a name and which product to sell to the public through pop-up shops.
Full editable teacher resources, designed to be flexible and meet a range of abilities and needs, are provided to guide the teacher through the process of setting up and running the business.
Like the Company Programme, the Team Programme has already started for academic year 24/25 but you can still learn all about the programme over on our website and prepare for 25/26!
For more information click HERE
Don’t just take our word for it!
Hear from students and teachers who have already participated in these programmes - click on the video to learn more!
Team Programme
Company Programme
