Diversity, equality and inclusion are core to sustainability, yet despite Bristol’s reputation for being the only UK city to be a European Green Capital, young people in Bristol face some of the highest levels of inequality and racial discrimination in the UK, particularly in education and employment.
The Bristol Future Talent Partnership works with young people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds aged 14 to 21 to remove barriers, raise aspirations and provide talent with opportunity by providing high quality work experience opportunities with our partner organisations.
In July, the Botanic Gardens worked with the Partnership to host a group of 12 students, providing valuable insight into the range of sustainability-related roles across the University. From learning about the diversity of plants and taking cuttings at the Botanic Gardens, to learning about sustainable events at the SU, to touring our 100% bronze certified ‘Green Labs’, the week highlighted the range of roles in the ‘green industry’ to inspire the students’ future career development.
The Sustainability Team hosted a half day with the students and explained the University’s Net Zero Carbon by 2030 target, alongside the plan to get there. The students heard from several members of the team and learned about carbon footprints, smart buildings and how the Team drives down the University’s transport emissions.
“The benefits of work experience are vast but the type of work experience that young people can access usually depends on family connections. We hope that by offering work experience opportunities like this we can help make the industry more inclusive and diverse. The week was very enjoyable, the young people were a real pleasure to be with, and we hope our partnership with BFTP will be a long one.” Andrew Winfield, Bristol Botanic Gardens.
For more information about the Bristol Future Talent Partnership, see their website www.bristolfuturetalent.co.uk