Extra MSA and Ahead Partnership empower local students to shape the future of EV charging
We recently welcomed local Year 10 students from Leeds East Academy to our Leeds Skelton Lake services, to take part in an exciting EV challenge designed to give them exclusive insights into the roles and skills needed to meet the UK’s Net Zero targets.
The initiative was developed alongside social value specialist, Ahead Partnership. It encouraged students to apply their maths and data science skills in an interactive workshop, helping them to understand the opportunities and challenges posed by the UK’s EV transition.
The students also took part in a site tour showcasing Leeds Skelton Lake’s sustainability credentials, from its extensive EV charging facilities and award-winning living green roof, to the biodiversity and local wildlife in its surrounding active travel pathways.
Alongside Gridserve and Ahead Partnership, our volunteers also challenged the students to design their very own take on the changes they’d implement on the site to accommodate the increasing demand for EV charge points, designed to help drive customer satisfaction and meet demand at Motorway Service Areas (MSAs).
The students pitched their solutions to a panel of industry experts, who provided feedback, including exploring opportunities to implement these initiatives on the site. The experts, volunteers and students also reflected on the rapidly growing industry and what opportunities the generations to come can unlock to help achieve the country’s green transition.
Through our ongoing collaboration with Ahead Partnership, we are committed to creating a lasting impact by inspiring the next generation of leaders driving innovation and sustainability in the transportation sector. This collaboration underscores the importance of investing in the next generation and securing a greener future.
We have worked with Ahead Partnership since 2017, completing a number of successful projects, including a series of ecology days for primary school students. Most recently, at our Cambridge Services, we invited a group of primary school students to take part in a wildlife safari tour of the site to explore its biodiversity.
Michael Grantham, ESG Manager at Extra MSA, said: “Our continued work with Ahead Partnership is crucial in helping us to give young people a say on the future of greener transport. EV charging is becoming increasingly important for our customers and we’re always looking to go the Extra mile to meet their needs, and involving the future generations of road users is a great way to do that in an innovative and engaging way.
“We can’t wait to see the outcomes of this engaging day with the local students, and understand these can help us shape our upcoming work with Ahead Partnership, further encouraging current and future generations to talk about ESG and contribute towards a greener transport future.”
Megan Lipp, Head of Growth at Ahead Partnership, said: “It’s great to see young people engaged with the future of EV charging and to have delivered another insightful programme of activities to prioritise the Net Zero agenda in the communities that Extra MSA serves.
“By encouraging students to share their ideas with industry professionals at a live operational site, we’re not only helping to build their confidence, but also raising awareness of the hugely valuable contribution that their skills and creativity can have on shaping the future of sectors including sustainability, construction and transportation.
“It’s this kind of early, meaningful engagement that can ignite long-term interest in green careers and help create a pipeline of future talent ready to tackle the UK’s biggest environmental challenges.”
To find out more about Ahead Partnership, visit: https://www.aheadpartnership.org.uk/.