The concept of how to get into the low-carbon energy field is explored and debated amongst facilitators, David Keith, Sara Harding-Simon, and our own Ed Whittingham (ASI Co-founder) in Careers in Low-Carbon Energy | Energy vs Climate Episode 25.
Ed is a clean energy policy/finance consultant, fellow at the Public Policy Forum and a mentor with the Creative Destruction Lab. He is also the former executive director of the Pembina Institute.
Throughout the podcast, Ed and featured guests offer fresh insight into the low-carbon energy field based on years of experience and acquired knowledge. Of particular interest is the wisdom imparted by Merideth Adler, Executive Director of Student Energy, a global organization that works with over 50,000 youth in over 120 countries. Merideth voices “the need for standardization and scaling how we do experiential learning to train people on sustainability skills…The sustainability landscape and green jobs are ever-evolving…we need to prepare young people better for this.” She further suggests that preparing for the workforce entails going outside of the university system and ensuring young people have the opportunity to take on a management role.
Echoing this advice, Ed discusses the increasing relevance of micro-credentials and how these programs can close the gap between standard education and the evolving needs of industry leadership. He also talks about how people can benefit from this type of experiential learning as opposed to simply staying put in the classroom. He stresses the importance of striking the right balance between seat time and education, noting the development of a transition leadership course (through ASI) that will place due emphasis on experiential learning.
We hope that you find this podcast to be engaging and informative. For more information on our upcoming transition leadership course, sign up below to receive updates and check back soon!