Scottish educator Powering Futures’s goal is to enable the next generation of children to graduate with enhanced skills and abilities - creating a pipeline of talent for businesses transitioning to Net Zero.
Since launching in 2020, the organization has developed a challenge programme based on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 6 accreditation and worked with more than 7,000 young people, 180 businesses and 125 secondary schools across Scotland.
Teams of 4-6 individuals take on real-life sustainability challenges set by sponsoring businesses to develop a solution and present it to a panel of industry judges.
The object is for learners to develop the critical meta-skills that employers are looking for in their future workforce. According to Powering Futures, many of the students who complete the course and join businesses in Scotland have already been promoted and their solutions implemented at Lothian Buses, Seafood Scotland, Scottish Water and SSEN Transmission.
Biology teacher Russ Wood at The Gordon Schools commented: “We chose to run Powering Futures at The Gordon Schools initially to enhance course choice for our seniors.
"It is becoming increasingly difficult for young people to make their CV stand out in a crowded job market. So doing a course that is a bit different, but is at SCQF Level 6, gives our seniors something unique to show colleges, universities, and employers.”
Gillian Watret, Dalbeattie High School teacher of Modern Studies and Geography added: “Pupils can directly see the links between what they are learning in school with the outside employers and the ability to demonstrate crucial skills which is essential for their future careers.
“The ability to constantly refine an idea and apply resilience when a curveball is thrown in is also something that the pupils have developed. Furthermore, pupils are realising the links between sustainability and almost every career sector.”
In 2025 Powering Futures inaugurated its Ken Muir Award to recognise exceptional achievement by students who demonstrate outstanding personal growth, effort and resilience in the challenge - qualities that often go unmeasured in traditional education settings.
Professor Muir served as the inspector of schools in Scotland and chief executive of the country’s General Teaching Council. In 2021 he published a report on Scottish education that called for a renewed focus on recognising the full breadth of achievement - placing young people and their potential at the heart of the education system.
This year, 2,303 students participated in the Award challenge with 102 winners throughout Scotland including 94 students, six teachers and two mentors.
