An award winning approach to education relating to renewable energies

The growth in employment for the renewables industry combined with transition from other energy sources, is predicted to result in over 100 million employees in the sector worldwide by 2030 [1]. These employees will come from a variety of disciplines, cultures and backgrounds and will require a range of education and training to help us address climate change. Higher Education Institutions (HEI) will be a primary provider of this education/training and whilst there is an increasing number of renewable energy courses being developed, many of them focus on one discipline. They therefore potentially miss the benefits of multidisciplinary and intercultural group learning to help develop the “durable skills” required by industry [2]. This paper charts the on-going journey of an award-winning approach to learning [3] associated with the renewables sector that has been developed in Universities and industry in Europe. The Promoting Excellence in Employability and Transversal Skills (PEETS) initiative co-created a variety of innovative learning opportunities for students and staff enhancing both knowledge and skills development. Experiential and problem-based challenges through eg the construction of 5m tall wind turbines at a 10 day intensive study period, supported deeper learning through reflection. This initiative was awarded the prestigious Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) by AdvanceHE in 2019. Such a model of interdisciplinary learning is readily transferable across the sector and can assist in the development and application of environment-friendly energies.