In July, Bristol City Leap had the privilege of hosting four enthusiastic work-experience students Matin, Adama, Maryam, and Fiyinfoluwa through the Bristol Future Talent Partnership. This experience was part of our ongoing commitment to fostering talent and providing young people with meaningful opportunities to engage with the pressing issue of decarbonisation in our city.
About Bristol City Leap
Bristol City Leap is a world-first initiative, a transformative, city-scale approach to decarbonisation. Through a twenty-year joint venture partnership between Bristol City Council, Ameresco, and Vattenfall Heat UK, we aim to invest over £1 billion into Bristol’s energy system. Our mission is to significantly boost the amount of renewable energy and decarbonised heat powering the city, creating a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment for everyone.
Over the next five years, we plan to deliver £424 million in large infrastructure projects, including large scale wind and solar, expanding Bristol’s award-winning Heat Network, installing solar panels and low-carbon heating systems in schools, and making social housing more energy-efficient. Our initiative is designed with social value at its core, with the potential to generate at least £61.5 million in social value for the city, create over 1,000 new jobs and apprenticeships, and establish a £1.5 million Community Energy Fund.
A Week of Learning and Growth
The work experience week offered our students a hands-on opportunity to explore the world of energy and sustainability. Throughout the week, the students participated in a variety of activities designed to broaden their understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the energy sector.
One of the highlights for the students was the Heat Network Building activity, where students used straws and ping pong balls to simulate the creation of an energy-efficient heat network. Maryam reflected, “I enjoyed everything really, but if I were to pick out one specific thing, it’d probably be the talks and sessions on the heat network because it certainly has broadened my knowledge on what heat networks are, which I clearly didn’t know till I came on the placement.” Matin also appreciated this activity, saying, “I also enjoyed making things when we were working on the heat network building activity.“
The students also had the chance to visit several key sites, including Sparks in Broadmead and the Energy Centre in Castle Park. These visits were eye-opening experiences that helped them connect the theoretical aspects of decarbonisation to real-world applications. Adama found this hands-on approach particularly engaging, stating, “I enjoyed going out into the city and looking around for specific things like the Retrofitting and EVI. I prefer more hands-on tasks so being able to get up and walk around was something that I really did enjoy. I also loved the poster design task because we were able to present them, and I was able to show everyone my public speaking abilities as well as my presentation skills.“
For Fiyinfoluwa, the opportunity to learn about energy and heat systems was particularly valuable, as it introduced him to a new field of knowledge. He shared, “I found the opportunity to learn about energy and heat systems to be highly valuable, as it is a field with which I was previously unfamiliar, and that is something I’ll say I enjoyed the most throughout this week.” He also found the poster design and event planning sessions engaging, despite initially struggling with unfamiliar software like Canva. “The task I’ll say I found the most challenging was utilising the Canva software effectively for our poster design which was to create awareness. Prior to the sessions, I had almost no experience using them, but over the sessions, I was guided and learnt how to use them” he said.
Reflections on the Experience
The students left Bristol City Leap with a deeper understanding of the energy sector and how it intersects with broader societal goals. Matin reflected on how the experience influenced his thoughts on his future career, noting, “It helped me think about how my future degree and skills can be implemented in such a field, and it made me realise that I don’t quite enjoy being in an office space and I would rather have a more hands-on approach to a working environment.“
While Adama is still unsure if a career in energy is in her future, she was inspired by Bristol City Leap’s commitment to community impact. “Although I’m unsure if I’d work at a company that does work on energy and the environment, it is something that has really made me realise I want to be in a career that helps people. Seeing the way you as a company want to help the community has truly inspired me to go out and do more, even if it’s not necessarily the same work that you guys do” she said.
Maryam, who studies Geography, found the placement aligned with her interest in climate change and appreciated the opportunity to work in a sector that shares her passion for the environment. “As a student that studies Geography, I’m quite keen on climate change, and I think that Bristol City Leap clearly cares about it too by doing some captivating work, so I MIGHT look into doing something environment-related in the future” she explained.
Although Fiyinfoluwa’s aspirations lie in cyber security, the experience at Bristol City Leap gave him the confidence to consider a career in a sector focused on sustainability. “Now I feel more confident in getting a career in cyber security in this kind of sector” he noted.
A Lasting Impact
Beyond the technical knowledge gained, the students also developed important soft skills during their time with us. Adama and Maryam both noted improvements in their communication and teamwork abilities. Maryam shared, “Normally, I don’t like working with other people and prefer working alone, but tasks involved teaming up with the other students, and I’d say that I coped quite well, which I normally wouldn’t do. I spoke quite a bit, so my communication has improved.” Adama also reflected on her growth, saying, “I’ve definitely developed my confidence and ability to talk and project my thoughts and emotions throughout my time here. I know now more than ever how I would be able to talk in formal meetings.“
The students’ positive feedback underscores the importance of initiatives like this. As Adama expressed, “Bristol City Leap’s hospitality and kindness towards both me and the other students doing the work experience has been absolutely amazing. There is not a single person in this company who has acted in a certain way to make me or anyone else feel uncomfortable and this really makes me glad. Your work ethic is insanely good, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that has been given. I would undeniably recommend this work experience to anyone, especially those who are interested in making an impact on our community.“
Maryam echoed this sentiment, stating, “Overall, it was an amazing experience. I feel really privileged to be able to do work experience, coming from a different country where work experience isn’t even a thing, and to be able to do a placement at such a company, it’s just great.” Fiyinfoluwa added, “It was a pleasant week, and I gained lots of knowledge in fields I didn’t know about before.“
Conclusion
Hosting these talented students through the Bristol Future Talent Partnership has been a rewarding experience for everyone involved. It has reaffirmed our commitment to providing young people with the skills, knowledge, and inspiration they need to contribute to a sustainable future. As we continue our work towards decarbonising Bristol, we look forward to offering more opportunities for the next generation to get involved and make a difference.
By investing in the leaders of tomorrow, we are not only helping to create a more sustainable city but also fostering a more inclusive and equitable community. At Bristol City Leap, we believe that the journey to a carbon-neutral Bristol is one that should be shared by everyone, and we are proud to play a role in shaping the future of our city.
To discover more about students who have engaged with Bristol City Leap, click here.
