Optimum Skills business apprenticeship tutor Nigel Thompson and business account manager Beth Carter are excited to be rolling out a brand new net zero course for businesses.
PICTURE: CHRIS BOOTH
NET ZERO KNOWLEDGE
New Optimum Skills course to help cut carbon emissions
The move towards net zero is an issue every business needs to get to grips with – and a new course run by Optimum Skills can help bridge the gap. By 2050, the government has committed the UK to a‘ net zero’ emissions target.
In other words, the amount of greenhouse gases the UK adds to the atmosphere must no longer be more than it takes out.
It means businesses across the economy will need to take steps to get as close to zero emissions as possible, with less reliance on fossil fuels and a switch to cleaner technologies.
Easier said than done, of course. But thanks to funding from the North East Combined Authority, Optimum Skills’ new Skills Bootcamp net zero course can help make that transition smoother for businesses large and small.
It’ s all about understanding what net zero means for a business – and suggesting methods to get there.
And those methods can be major operational changes or something small – but when it all adds up, it can help not just the business, but the planet.
Optimum Skills business apprenticeship tutor Nigel Thompson admits that preparing to deliver the course proved an eye-opener.
He said:“ Everybody has an idea of what net zero is but until you dig down into it, you don’ t realise how little you actually know about it.
“ It has opened my eyes to it – just little things around the house or workplace can make a big difference.
“ For example, washing out tin cans and bottles before they go for recycling, otherwise the whole binload goes to landfill because it’ s all contaminated.
“ And then you get to bigger issues such as transport and having more electric vehicles onsite. Why use gas and fuel-powered forklifts or trucks when there are electric ones available?
“ Then there’ s company cars, which could be electric rather than petrol or diesel.”
The eight-week B2B course, which will run one day a week, costs just £ 300 per person for companies with 249 or fewer staff, and £ 900 pp for those with 250 staff or more, thanks to heavy government funding. Optimum Skills is the only training provider in the area to get such funding for a net zero course.
The curriculum is currently being fine-tuned but its key topics will include: > Understanding why net zero matters. > Devising a pathway to net zero and tracking progress.
> Decarbonising a particular part of an organisation, such as the supply chain, business travel or estates.
> Supporting an existing net zero strategy and developing it.
> Communicating an organisation’ s net zero approach. Nigel said:“ No one has billions of pounds to spend but small, simple things can make a difference.
“ It’ s about getting businesses to understand
BY DAVE ROBSON
what they’ re doing on a daily basis – things like transportation routes, for example, or working more closely with other‘ green’ companies.
“ Little changes make a big difference when added together – even things like what you eat can make a huge contribution to reducing your carbon footprint. Is it locally sourced? And if you’ re choosing red meat over white meat, you’ re adding to your carbon footprint because of that beef production.
“ Also, try and avoid using single-use plastics in your canteens and cafes. And if food is locally sourced, there’ s less transport involved.
“ Businesses can help themselves by changing their habits. That’ s the key word, habits – changing from what’ s been the norm.”
Optimum Skills senior sales manager Danielle Scott said it’ s hoped to start the course in August, with spaces for up to 15 people. She added:“ The type of businesses around the business park – engineering, manufacturing, warehousing – would gain a lot from this course.
“ Even if it gets a business to change one thing that makes an impact to them and the environment, that will be us winning. They can all have different projects they want to work on.
“ And when cohorts mix with other businesses, they learn from each other –‘ we’ ve done this, have you tried that?’ – so it works out really well.”
Businesses interested in enrolling on the net zero course should email info @ optimumskills. co. uk or call 01325 311832.
Visit optimumskills. co. uk
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