Efforts to bolster greener habits across the Education Training Collective have been recognised with a national award and green accreditation for the second year running.
The group has been named winner of the Investors in the Environment’s Sustainability Influencer Award. The title highlights not only a commitment to change but also a drive to encourage others to do the same.
“Our commitment to sustainability and the environment has been a priority across our campuses in recent years,” said the group’s director of marketing and business engagement, Erika Marshall.
“The environment is something that we know truly matters to our learners. Our aim is to provide a platform to not only learn about sustainability but also provide opportunities to carry out those actions in a practical way.”
The iiE national sustainability awards celebrate the green achievements of small to medium-sized enterprises and larger businesses and organisations around the UK who are working to reduce their resource use, support nature, influence change and make a positive social impact.
Also achieving iiE Green accreditation for the second consecutive year, the highest possible standard, the Etc. is working to improve sustainability across its campuses and reducing their carbon footprint.
The group incorporates Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, Bede Sixth Form College, The Skills Academy, NETA Training and Innersummit.
Working with thousands of learners, together the colleges and training providers have implemented a host of green measures to promote positive change.
Projects have included the creation of a Green Initiatives Group, a team of like-minded individuals from across the organisation working together to create and deliver new ideas.
Carbon literacy workshops have been delivered to staff to help spread the word along with an increased focus on sustainability embedded into lessons.
The creation of a thrift exchange, gift swap and a staff car share scheme are just some of the ways individuals are being urged to make a change and think about their environmental impact.
The college group has also made significant improvements to the environmental performance of its central operations along with larger-scale developments such as the launch of its Clean Energy Education Hub and Retrofit Academy at Redcar and Cleveland College, focusing on skills for the low carbon energy and construction industries.
Working with Carbon Neutral Britain, Etc. has been certified carbon neutral for three years.
Etc. chief executive and group principal Grant Glendinning said: “We are incredibly proud to see the group recognised nationally for its work to make sustainability a priority and find ways to share this with our learners, staff and communities.
“The Green Initiatives Group, along with many other staff and students, have worked hard to find new and innovative ways to reduce their carbon emissions both in the classroom and at home.”
Investors in the Environment (iiE) is a national environmental accreditation scheme designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment and get recognition for their progress.
Antony Gough, national lead at iiE, said: “This year’s competition was tougher than ever, showcasing the extraordinary efforts of our members. Their dedication is further reflected in the record-breaking number of accreditations, award entries, and the sizeable impacts we’ve achieved together.”
