Immingham students get keen on green energy
Students from Oasis Academy in Immingham spent a day learning about renewable energy thanks to offshore wind developer Ørsted.
Students from Oasis Academy in Immingham spent a day learning about renewable energy thanks to offshore wind developer Ørsted.
The year 11 pupils had the chance to visit Ørsted’s operation base in Grimsby as part of the company’s partnership with education charity Teach First.
Ørsted, formerly DONG Energy, has been operating out of Grimsby since 2013. The operations and maintenance facility serves as a base for Westermost Rough and Race Bank offshore wind farms and the site is currently being extended into a multi-million-pound East Coast Hub which will serve Ørsted’s future East Coast windfarms, including the biggest wind farm in the world, Hornsea Project Two.
As well as a tour of the site they were able to board one of the huge Service Operations Vessels (SOVs) which accommodate the technicians whilst out at sea. They also had a workshop on CVs and careers and developed their teamwork skills by competing in teams to construct a model wind turbine using everyday stationery items.
Amber Tarry, Teach First Teacher at Oasis Academy Immingham, said:
"Today has been a brilliant opportunity for our pupils at Oasis Academy Immingham. It has explicitly tied in to their GCSE Geography course, and has allowed them to actually see how renewable energy is produced and developed in practice, having previously learned about the theory behind this in the classroom. It has broadened the students’ horizons in terms of potential job opportunities available to them locally, whilst also allowing them to reflect on the skills and qualities they will need to develop in order to succeed in a professional industry.
“I personally feel that it has motivated many of the students, especially hearing from the current apprentices who assured the pupils that they are capable of achieving whatever they put their minds to if they have a strong enough desire. A truly inspiring day!"
Mark Hickson, Operations Manager at Ørsted, said:
“Investing in the future isn’t just about building offshore wind farms to provide green energy. It’s about encouraging and inspiring the next generation of engineers to want to work in this growing industry. Our partnership with Teach First aims to do just that, as well as providing support for teachers in northern towns and cities, including Grimsby.”
Carol Gormley, Local Area Director of Teach First in Yorkshire and Humber, said:
“Partnering with local businesses provides great opportunities for pupils to gain first-hand experience of the careers available on their doorstep. Young people often find it more difficult to access the informal networks of friends and family working in top professions so hearing directly from business is effective in getting them to think about what they want to do when they leave school. Many thanks to Ørsted for hosting the day.”
Ørsted’s partnership with education charity Teach First aims to transform the skills landscape for young people in northern towns and cities including Grimsby, with a focus on STEM subjects. Their sponsorship goes much further than financial support, and includes mentoring, school visits and work experience placements.
It’s not just the local, on-the-ground teams who are stepping up to support the partnership in the area. Earlier this year Ørsted’s UK managing director delivered a lesson to Grimsby pupils as part of a Teach First initiative the “Big Class Challenge”. He spoke about his career path from school to Managing Director of a leading energy company, as well as teaching them about offshore wind energy.
Background - Ørsted in Education
Ørsted has a number of educational initiatives to inspire young people to access the growing offshore wind industry and develop the skills they need for a bright future:
About Teach First
We are a charity with the vision that no child’s educational success should be limited by their socio-economic background. Our mission is to end inequality in education by building a community of exceptional leaders who create change within classrooms, schools and across society.
Our charity invests in the power of people to change lives by:
Since 2003, Teach First has placed 11,000 leaders in schools serving low-income communities, reaching over 1 million young people.
Anyone can get involved in the Big Class Challenge using our free lesson plans for teachers and guidance packs for volunteers. Further information here.