Girls in Energy embrace London experience

June 9, 2023

Nine North East secondary pupils have taken their expertise into the boardroom as part of North East Scotland College’s pioneering Girls in Energy programme, delivered in partnership with Shell.

The young STEM specialists were selected from the school groups completing the bespoke College course, which is designed to promote gender equality in the energy industry.

They travelled to the Shell Centre, the company’s London headquarters, to showcase their knowledge and innovation. During the trip they met with counterparts from a Malaysian initiative and presented energy saving concepts developed as part of the NXplorers project to the company’s executives.

Fraserburgh Academy, Mintlaw Academy, Peterhead Academy, Meldrum Academy, Banff Academy, St Machar Academy, Bucksburn Academy and Aberdeen Grammar School were all represented.

Duncan Abernethy, NESCol’s Director of Business Development, said: “One of the most important aspects of Girls in Energy is the opportunities provided to participants to expand their horizons and build confidence in new and exciting environments.

“The group who travelled to London had a fantastic experience and impressed Shell with their ideas, their insight and their commitment to addressing real-life challenges using the skills they have developed during their studies with us.

“The programme continues to go from strength to strength, with very strong demand for 2023-24, and we’re very grateful to Shell for their long-standing support.”

Girls in Energy was introduced to help break down barriers and provide a progressive, nurturing environment for young women in what traditionally has been a male-dominated sector. The programme provides a platform for pupils, aged 15-17, to make a significant contribution to the search for solutions to global environmental issues under the tutelage of NESCol lecturers and with the support of Shell’s in-house engineers.