More than 200 young women gathered in Aberdeen last week to discuss innovative solutions to global food, water and energy sector challenges as part of the annual Girls In Energy conference.
Held at the Aberdeen Music Hall on Friday, November 10, the one-day conference brought together students from across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Fife.
Delivered in partnership with North East Scotland College (NESCol) and Fife College, Girls In Energy is a year-long engineering course for 14 to 17-year-old secondary school students.
Sponsored by Shell, the initiative aims to encourage more young women to engage with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
Throughout the day, the girls worked in teams to brainstorm solutions to sustainability challenges before five groups presented their ideas to a panel of judges from the energy sector, including Scottish energy and environment minister Gillian Martin.
The winning team presented an idea for a seed bank and growth project to encourage people to grow their own food at home.
© Supplied by ShellMs Martin said ensuring young women are engaged in STEM is incredibly important to support the growth of Scotland’s economy and its transition towards net zero.
“The Girls in Energy initiative is a great example of what can be achieved by cooperation,” Ms Martin said.
“I am in no doubt that it has over the years inspired many young women to think about a career in one of the most exciting sectors that has the potential to play a huge part in getting us to Net Zero, and will continue to do so.”
Shell UK senior vice-president Simon Roddy said projects like Girls In Energy will hopefully encourage more young women to pursue a career in the sector.
NESCol director of business development Duncan Abernathy said in the 10 years the initiative has been running, an estimated 1,000 girls have taken part.
“The annual conference is the perfect opportunity to highlight the value of the initiative to the participants and to celebrate their involvement,” Mr Abernathy said.
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