National Apprenticeship Week: The skills you need to become a great sustainability leader

The 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week, taking place throughout this week, is dedicated to showcasing and enhancing the benefits that apprenticeships can bring to individuals starting out on their professional careers.

With the energy and sustainability sectors suffering from so-called skills gaps, organisations of all sizes have been urged to utilise apprenticeships to sculpt and mobilise an energised workforce of the future.

Across the sustainability sphere, job satisfaction is at an all-time high and above the national average. Clearly, sustainability workers are engaged with the task of reversing and alleviating climate and resource risks, but what skills are needed to take this workforce to the next level to create the next era of sustainability leaders?

To mark National Apprenticeship Week, edie spoke to a selection of sustainability leaders to break down exactly what skills are now needed to make a great sustainability leader and take CSR mainstream.

In the resulting video, Kellogg’s senior director of corporate affairs, CSR and sustainability for EMEA Rupert Maitland-Titterton explains the importance of being able to collaborate with others, while BT’s head of sustainable business policy Gabrielle Giner outlines why sustainability professionals need to have the courage to challenge the status-quo.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola European Partners’ UK head of sustainability Nick Brown and John Lewis Partnership’s senior manager of group corporate responsibility Zoe Brady offer thoughts on how effective communication can drive a CSR strategy, and BaxterStorey’s head of sustainable business Mike Hanson notes the importance of being able to influence other areas of the business.

Supporting young professionals: edie’s 30 Under 30 initiative

In related news, edie recently revealed the youthful visionaries that had successfully received membership of our new 30 under 30 initiative. Aspiring young sustainability, CSR and energy professionals from the likes of the BBC, innocent Drinks, Formula E and Harrods were announced as the inaugural members of the initiative, who will now benefit from an unrivalled opportunity to connect with one another at a launch event later this month.

View the full list of 30 Under 30 members here.

Matt Mace