Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Future of Education
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Supporting The Pipeline of Skilled Engineering Graduates To the Green Energy Market: The Role of Engineering Education in Embedding Sustainability and Global Citizenship
Ruissein Mahon, Chika Judith Abolle-Okoyeagu, Ibiye Iyalla
ABSTRACT:
Successfully delivering on the UK’s Net Zero challenge requires a highly skilled workforce. This is in direct response to the UK Government’s British Energy Security Strategy (2022) which targets 50 GW of offshore wind, 10 GW of hydrogen and up to 30 million tonnes of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects by 2030. For these targets to be achieved, sustained growth and development within the offshore energy workforce in the UK needs to be increased to 225,000 by 2030 – a 50% increase from its current number of approximately 150,000 individuals. This transition to a sustainable, green energy market requires a talented energy workforce – having technical expertise, a clear understanding of sustainability and global citizenship, to drive a well-managed, closely coordinated, just transition to accelerate the UK’s Net Zero programme. This paper explores the role of engineering education in developing graduates to meet these demands. It explores a multi-faceted approach to engage students in the area of sustainability, various strategies and interventions which can be used to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for engineering students. Case study learnings are highlighted as it demonstrates a robust framework for successfully embedding concepts of sustainability and global citizenship in postgraduate engineering courses. The findings emphasise the importance of a holistic educational approach that aligns with the evolving needs of the green energy sector, ultimately supporting the pipeline of skilled engineering graduates ready to drive the global transition to practical and sustainable energy solutions.
keywords: Engineering, Green Energy Market, Net Zero, Sustainability, Global Citizenship