A total of 21 Scottish projects – including Forth Valley College’s Renew STEM Hub - have been awarded a share of £10million from the Green Economy Fund, to help them pursue their green ambitions, SP Energy Networks announced recently.
The funding announcement will see SP Energy Networks support a range of innovative projects, from e-bike hire schemes and electric bin lorries, through to a micro heat network and community hydropower station.
A launch event for the projects and a grant award ceremony took place at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh this week (Wednesday 24 July 2019).
FVC’s project – which was awarded £43,727 will see the college run additional Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) learning opportunities with a focus on renewables for young people from early years to secondary level across Forth Valley. This will be done through a combination of approaches including the development of innovative on-line learning materials, knowledge exchange events and facilitating opportunities for collaboration between education, business and other key stakeholders.
The Green Economy Fund was established in 2018 to support projects that will ultimately help the Scottish Government in reaching its green targets, which aim to boost local economic growth, improve air quality in our cities and deliver a better future, quicker for our communities. The fund does this by helping projects that promote low-carbon heating, low-carbon transport, or the education of Scotland’s workforce for a greener future.
The latest round of funding, which benefits projects across the length and breadth of Scotland, was announced at The Great Polish Map of Scotland in Peebles by champion cyclist, Callum Skinner. The Olympian is passionate about the environment and switched his track bike for an e-bike to show the range of low-carbon choices available to Scots.
Frank Mitchell, Chief Executive of SP Energy Networks, said: “We are delighted to recognise some of Scotland’s greenest and most innovative projects by awarding them funding to further their vital work.
“Scotland has always been a nation of innovators and today we are recognising 21 incredibly innovative projects. We believe in supporting our communities by investing directly in projects that deliver low carbon solutions and also create the economic benefits locally that can come from driving to zero carbon.
“At SP Energy Networks, we share the Scottish Government’s vision of making a cleaner, greener Scotland by accelerating our green economy in order to deliver a better future quicker for our communities.”
Kenny MacInnes, Director of Curriculum for FVC’s Department of Engineering and Science, said: “At Forth Valley College we are uniquely placed to work with partners across three local authority areas (Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire), providing a fantastic opportunity to create a “STEM Hub” for the area. STEM is one of our key priorities and the challenge is to ensure that STEM engagement activities are accessible from early years through to secondary, regardless of geography. We are also aware of the growing importance of the green economy and we want to ensure the workforce of the future is engaged, skilled and prepared to take advantage of career opportunities in this sector.
“Our model of delivery reflects the College’s mission of ‘Making Learning Work’ through the provision of dynamic, forward thinking learning opportunities that are closely aligned to the economy and the needs of the communities in which we serve.”
To find out more about the Green Economy Fund and the projects it supports, please click here.