Greater Glasgow school pupils put their skills to the test with an employability programme.

In a pioneering programme, 51 pupils from Glasgow region honed their sustainability skills at Drumchapel High School, aiming to shape the employability skills of the future.

Participating schools included teams from High School of Glasgow, Hillhead High School, Drumchapel High School, Renfrew High, Turnbull High, and Lenzie Academy.

These students took on the Powering Futures Schools Challenge presentations where they solved real-world business problems by finding groundbreaking sustainable solutions.

The pupils were tasked with research into and collaboration on the challenges.

With mentorship from industry experts, they crafted and presented their creative solutions to an expert panel of judges from Smarter Grid Solutions, Entrepreneurs, Net-Zero experts from The University of Glasgow, Transport Scotland, and Consultants during a showcase event at Drumchapel High School.

On completion of the project, the students were awarded a SCQF Level 6 qualification.

Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, applauded the programme, saying: "As the drive continues towards Net Zero, enabling learners to develop the skills employers need in their future workforce is critical.

"The Powering Futures team and their sponsors must be applauded for inspiring and supporting the next generation as they move forward.

"I am delighted pupils at Lenzie Academy and Turnbull High in my constituency are benefiting from this vital education programme which is helping to open up new opportunities for them."

Echoing her sentiments, Natalie Don, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, said: "It’s great to see pupils at Renfrew High getting involved with the Powering Futures Challenge, helping them to develop enhanced skills and abilities by taking on real world sustainability challenges, collaborating on a solution, and presenting it to a live panel of industry judges.

"It is also encouraging that the pupils will gain a SCQF Level 6 qualification upon completion of the course."

Jennifer Tempany, co-founder of Powering Futures, added: "We were delighted to have 13 teams from the Glasgow region take part in the Challenge Programme.

"We are always blown away by the innovation and creativity shown by pupils as they tackle relevant challenges set by industry.

"By empowering young people through our pioneering Powering Futures Challenge Programme, we can help them develop the critical skills that employers are looking for in their future workforce and establish those essential links between the businesses of today and the workers of tomorrow who will power Scotland’s net-zero future."

A second batch of students from the Glasgow region will participate in a final round on March 19 at the King’s Park Secondary School.

As part of the SCQF level 6 accredited Powering Futures Schools Challenge, 643 pupils from 43 schools across Scotland have participated in 2023-2024.