Sustainable Futures

Sustainable Futures is a free careers programme for UK secondary schools and colleges that equips young people to thrive in a future green economy, regardless of their career path.

The project has been created through a partnership between WWF-UK, Villiers Park Educational Trust and Founders4Schools – we are addressing an urgent need to upskill and inspire young people into sustainable career pathways.

EDUCATORS

STUDENT COURSE

Our short course is designed to be delivered by teachers, careers leads or facilitators with groups or whole classes of students aged 14-18.

• Gain knowledge around the fundamentals of sustainability.
  
• Understand the role of business and relevance to career pathways.
  
• Reflect on their own skills and values and apply that to jobs.

The learning programme prepares young people aged 14-18 for the future job market and supplies them with the cutting-edge skills needed to have a career in sustainability. The course is designed to be delivered flexibly to suit each school’s needs. Throughout the programme, educators can set up sustainability encounters through the F4S platform, to bring sustainable careers to life, with visits to the school from professionals who work in sustainability across multiple industries.

>> Read more about the project and sign up to deliver the course in your school here

INVITE BUSINESS ROLE MODELS INTO THE CLASSROOM

Any educator, whether following the programme or not, can set up sustainability encounters through the F4S platform, to bring sustainable careers to life. Through meaningful encounters with employers and employees who highlight how sustainability is integral to their work.  This could be virtual or in person, with a speaker from an environmental organisation or from a company changing their practices to become more sustainable.

>> Find out more about Sustainability Encounters here

EXPERIENCES OF THE WORKPLACE

From renewable energy to hotels, Founders4Schools arrange work experience placements with a sustainability focus. Opportunities include: 

• Insight day: A taster day for a group of students or a tour of the workplace 
• Block placements: From days up to 1-2 weeks
• Workplace shadowing: Shadowing an employee for a day 
• Extended placements: One day a week over a term 

Work experience placements allow students to explore how sustainable thinking applies in the real-world context, and helps build confidence and access to career pathways.

>> Register your school's interest in sustainability work experience placements

>> Watch this video for an overview of the Sustainable Future Programme (YouTube link)

EMPLOYERS/VOLUNTEERS

OFFER EXPERIENCES OF THE WORKPLACE

Supporting your strategy towards a net-zero economy

Could you offer sustainability work experience placements to young people aged 14-18?

Enable students to understand what it means to be part of the world of work and learn the culture of a company first-hand. Help enhance their career prospects through an experience of the workplace that contributes to your organisation’s sustainability goals.

Email us for further information - sustainability@founders4schools.org.uk

BECOME A BUSINESS ROLE MODEL

Does your work include an element of sustainability? Would you like to share your career journey and knowledge through career education activities, to help young people gain the skills to needed for careers in sustainability?

We need volunteers from a range of sectors to bring the programme to life by sharing their personal career journeys. This could be virtual or in person, from an environmental organisation or a company that is embedding sustainability in its practices.

Make sure to choose Sustainability in your event preferences.

>> Register here to join us as a volunteer and attend sustainability careers events

JOIN OUR ADVISORY GROUP

Would you be interested in shaping and supporting our sustainable futures programme and work experience offering through our advisory group? Meeting just three times a year, with other flexible commitments, we hope to access the views of experienced professionals working at a senior level in early careers with a passion for sustainability.

Email us for further information - sustainability@founders4schools.org.uk

SPONSOR THE PROJECT

Can you help fund our Sustainable Futures programme to grow the reach of this important work? We are seeking corporate sponsors to help ensure young people across the UK have access to real insight into how a career in sustainability can help tackle climate change and work towards net zero.

Get in touch to find out more sustainability@founders4schools.org.uk