More than 100 senior pupils from across Renfrewshire & East Renfrewshire will work with some of Scotland’s biggest employers to solve real-world sustainability challenges.
Renfrewshire schools taking part are St Benedict’s High and Johnstone High, while pupils from East Renfrewshire – St Ninian’s High, Woodfarm High, Eastwood High, Mearns Castle High and Barrhead High – are also involved in the 2025/26 Powering Futures Schools Challenge.
The national programme links pupils with industry mentors to help develop the skills, confidence and experience needed for future careers. It’s the biggest year yet for Powering Futures, with more than 100 schools and around 2,300 pupils involved across Scotland.
Locally, S5 and S6 pupils will work in teams to research, design and present solutions to challenges set by major employers. Each group will be supported in the classroom by mentors from industry and, on completion, pupils will gain an SCQF Level 6 qualification – the equivalent of a Higher.
Now in its fifth year, Powering Futures has attracted its biggest number of organisations setting challenges. This year’s projects focus on issues shaping Scotland’s future economy, including clean energy, sustainable food, engineering and low-carbon housing.
The challenges come from:
- Seafood Scotland – encouraging people to rediscover locally sourced sustainable seafood
- Vital Energi, CeNZ-HighDB and HCI Skills Gateway – designing a new town of 2,500 homes using affordable, efficient low-carbon heating
- BAM and Siemens Energy – creating a nine-month programme to help young people discover careers in clean energy
- SSEN Transmission – planning how to move materials and equipment for new electricity infrastructure into remote areas with minimal environmental impact
- BAE Systems – transforming end-of-life shipping containers into useful community spaces using sustainable materials
The programme will conclude in spring 2026, when teams present their ideas to industry judges at a regional final at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Jennifer Tempany, co-founder of Powering Futures, said: “In Powering Futures fifth year, we are thrilled to be engaging with a record-breaking number of pupils across Scotland. This milestone highlights the strong appetite among schools and employers to work together to shape Scotland’s future workforce.
“By connecting young people with Scottish industries in a hands-on way, we’re helping Scotland’s next generation explore exciting opportunities in energy, food and drink, engineering, technology and beyond. Having run this programme for five years, we know it can be genuinely transformational – opening up career pathways and empowering young people to shape a sustainable and prosperous future for Scotland.”
Headline image: Pupils from Eastwood High School in Newton Mearns who are taking part in the Powering Futures Schools Challenge 2025-26
Photo Credit: Powering Futures