Metro Mayor Dan Norris met the bright young minds behind some of the West of England’s leading green tech initiatives, during the Mayor’s second Jobs and Skills Summit.
The cream of West of England clean, green technology from the region’s talented youngsters was showcased to the Metro Mayor when he visited the University of the West of England.
The Metro Mayor met some of the skilled young engineers and entrepreneurs behind some of the region’s leading green initiatives during the indoor demonstration, as well as being given an insight into projects to inspire the region’s future innovators.
The innovative tech on display includes drones that measure microplastics in the air, built by award-winning student engineers at the University of the West of England, digitally engineered leak-proof hydrogen storage containers and machines that optimise the growth of the crops people eat.
The programmes are funded through the Digital Engineering Technology and Innovation programme, a £5 million initiative from the West of England Combined Authority, led by the Metro Mayor.
The Mayor also heard from diverse companies and entrepreneurs developing the green economy and supporting hundreds of jobs in the process, thanks to the West of England Combined Authority's £478,000 Skills for Clean Growth project.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris said the demonstration showed the abundance of talent across the West of England as he applauded the talented youngsters supporting the West of England to reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. He said: “I’m so pleased to meet the teams of enthusiastic young people who are pioneering environmentally-friendly technology, boosting the West of England economy and supporting our efforts to reach our net-zero ambitions. It just goes to show how much talent there is in the region, as well as the good, high-quality jobs there are for local people in future-proof sectors such as the green economy, helping us to tackle the climate emergency alongside the jobs crisis.”
After the demonstration, the Metro Mayor and the young green innovators will view the ‘We Make Our Future’ planetarium show, which is being rolled out to schools across the region thanks to a £15,000 cash injection the West of England Combined Authority, inspiring the next generation to consider green careers and help drive the region’s transition to net-zero.
The Metro Mayor’s second Jobs and Skills Summit focused on raising the profile of green jobs across sectors, showcasing green career opportunities for local people and hearing from the region’s green workers helping the region transition to net zero.
On the summit day, the Metro Mayor also met students at Chew Valley School; workers in Bristol’s retrofit industry and trade unions working to green West of England workplaces.