A core theme of COP26 surrounds empowering the voice of young people, our emerging generation of workers being key to achieving climate justice.
As a Gen Z Policy Advisor here at Make UK, I am here to offer perspective to our members, both to showcase how integral attracting Gen Z is to industry- and the mandatory action that can be taken.
Why should manufacturers care about youth engagement in the contest of going green?
It’s important that youth engagement is a top priority for manufacturers, not simply as a statutory duty but as a necessity to secure a sustainable future workforce and ultimately manufacturer’s survival.
Gen Z are passionate about tackling climate change, in a way that is unwitnessed in our previous generations, recognising the true oncoming apocalypse of climate change, and challenging the short-term, environmentally catastrophic logic that continue to jeopardise true climate action. It’s this proactive approach that is critical to securing manufacturing’s green transformation.
Gen Z offer innovation, new ways of thinking to boost manufacturing green transformation, offering fresh alternatives, fluidity in digital technologies, a greater focus upon diversity and inclusion that pose solutions to manufacturing post pandemic rebuilding and green skills gap.
Ultimately, Gen Z are the future, manufacturing cannot exist without them and without youth engagement.
So what can manufacturers do?
Build relationships/communication: Engaging Gen Z through school and college engagement. Reach out to your local Careers and Enterprise advisor who can help.
Build upon/ expand youth apprenticeship routes: Explore how to expand apprenticeship routes, work experience or even T Levels.
Shout about UKmfg! The sector is it the forefront of solving the biggest societal issues we face so share what you are doing with everyone you can, online and offline.