Lancaster and Morecambe College - Environmental Sustainability for a Greener World

Lancaster & Morecambe College (LMC) are celebrating after being recognised as 'Careers Champions' by the Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) for their innovative approach to embedding sustainability and environmentalism across their curriculum.

The CEC, which is the national body for careers education in England, awarded the College the accolade after attending a Low Carbon Industry Day which was organised in collaboration with the Lancashire Careers Hub. The event saw almost 100 Year 9 pupils from 6 Lancashire schools take part in a range of workshops and sessions around green careers on campus, and included on-site visits to leading employers across the region.  Filming took place during the event and the resulting FE Connect video will be shared as a beacon of good practice for schools and colleges across the country. 

Victoria Carter, Head of Engagement, was thrilled with the recognition from the CEC.

"We are passionate about ensuring our learners receive the best possible advice and have developed a robust careers programme to support with this. We also work collaboratively with our local schools, developing sector-specific taster days and careers events for pupils from Year 6 right up to Year 13. Over the last 2 years, we have embedded sustainability across our whole curriculum and have created a range of careers resources to promote the growth in low carbon and green job opportunities, both locally and nationally."

The College was a founding partner of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum, a place-based initiative which was inspired by Eden Project Morecambe and aims to provide the green skills, knowledge and behaviours required by local and national employers.  They have created a Renewable Energy Demonstration Hub, featuring miniature hydrogen cars and wind turbines, and installed a 360 immersive virtual reality (VR) system where they show a powerful film outlining the impact of climate change and sea level rises on the local area. All of these resources are used as part of the careers sessions they deliver to schools and within the College's curriculum.

The CEC were impressed with the innovative approach LMC have taken when developing their careers strategy.

"The leadership team at LMC have created a careers programme that gives the next generation an appreciation of the planet, providing insight into how young people can pursue careers that positively contribute to sustainability within their own community. It places them at the forefront of environmentalism within Further Education."