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STEM Workshops with Routes to Work
Celebrating Green Careers Week with STEM Workshops at Routes to Work
As consciousness of the effects of climate change on our planet increases, so does the demand for careers aiming to combat its effects. This week celebrates Green Careers Week, dedicated to shining a spotlight on the diverse and dynamic opportunities available in environmental sectors.
Spreading awareness of contributing career paths, our team visited two local Routes to Work youth groups in North Lanarkshire. Routes to Work is a charity dedicated to helping North Lanarkshire residents gain the skills, confidence and qualifications needed to enter the workforce or continue education.
Across our visits, Lauren SeBlonka Innovation Business Partner, Alexandra Morgan Project Manager, Paul Brown Principal Operations Manager and Alisha McKinlay Media and Communications Officer, shared their journey into their current role with each group. They then went onto detail what each role entails on a typical day, followed by an exploration of the variety of roles offered within the roads industry currently.
Afterwards, pupils gained insight into the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads as a project, which led to an intuitive activity of brainstorming innovative ways to lower carbon in street lighting, line-marking, winter maintenance, pothole repair and surface treatments.
Students developed a multitude of plans from utilising alkaline substances to balance the pH of soil as a way of growing plants to applying glow in the dark paint to line-markings for better visibility at night to encouraging staff to car-share to reduce carbon emissions produced from driving.
The enthusiasm and creativity shown by the young people during Green Careers Week was a powerful reminder of the potential that lies within the next generation. Their ideas reflect a growing awareness of how everyday actions and career choices can contribute to a greener future. By engaging with initiatives like Routes to Work and the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, these students are not only exploring pathways into meaningful employment but also shaping the solutions our planet urgently needs.
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North Campus - Project Final Report
The completion of this Live Labs 2 project marks a significant milestone for North Lanarkshire Council (NLC), Scotland and the wider UK local roads sector. Over the course of the project, the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads has moved from concept to reality, demonstrating how local authorities (LAs) can lead national progress toward lower‑carbon and resilient road maintenance and construction. The construction, renewal, adaptation, and maintenance of the UK’s local road assets have long represented a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. With materials alone accounting for around 40% of total embodied carbon in roads, and additional emissions arising from Scope 2 and 3 activities, the sector has historically faced a fragmented landscape of innovation. Individual local authorities have been left to independently trial new technologies, shoulder disproportionate risk, and balance rising costs against uncertain returns in resilience and decarbonisation.
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On the ground behaviour change
Across the three local authorities, low carbon trials appear to be a great success, but there is uncertainty about the road ahead. Investing in lower-carbon approaches is a balancing act –requiring trade offs between enthusiasm and practicality. There are a number of behaviour change opportunities to leverage key drivers and overcome key challenges to innovation.
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Categorisation of Carbon Emission Factors
Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads (CEDR) is part of Live Labs 2, a three-year, UK-wide £30 million programme, funded by the Department for Transport, aimed at decarbonising the local highway network. It includes seven projects, grouped by four interconnected themes, led by local authorities working alongside commercial and academic partners. North Lanarkshire Council, with support from Amey, leads the north campus for the Centre of Excellence for Decarbonising Roads, while Transport for West Midlands, with support from Colas, leads the south campus, creating a national framework for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
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