As you may be aware, we’ve kept ourselves busy with masterclasses this past year. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting many (and varied) professionals that have provided our young people with the skills needed to succeed. You can read more about the different sessions we’ve hosted and what we’ve learnt from them here.

We were recently treated to a brilliant masterclass on ‘Climate Reality’ by the UK BNP Paribas team – long-time supporters and volunteers for MTL. BNP Paribas is the world’s 8th largest banking group and works with lots of UK and global businesses. Tara Foy and Chris Morgan, both trained by former US Vice President Al Gore, hosted the session, exploring what the reality of climate change is and how the finance industry role can help to solve it.

This session took place on Earth Day 2021 and was a topic that is very important to our organisation. With young people at the heart of our mission, we recognise that each of us needs to do our part in creating a future that is sustainable for generations to come. Tara, who is UK Sustainability Manager for the bank, highlighted that organisations like BNP Paribas are committed to tackling the climate issue and they do this by actively backing financial and investment policies that are Green, and by refusing to support organisations that directly contribute to climate change (e.g., carbon energy organisations) rather than sustainability.

Tara Foy, Chris Morgan, and MTL Masterclass attendees at the virtual event.

However, one major silver lining is that the more initiatives being made for the cause, the more jobs that are in demand and being created. So much so, that according to the International Labour Organization, it is estimated that by 2030 more than 24 million jobs will be created. At present, we see an increase in jobs pertaining to renewable energy, e.g., Wind & Urban Farming. In the masterclass, Chris, who is HR Project Manager, discussed the surge in demands for Solar Energy and explained that in the UK a ban has been proposed on petrol and diesel cars, making a shift to electric cars in the next decade. This indicates an increase in jobs related to clean energy and the electric car industry. Nonetheless, it’s not just highly specialised industries such as Scientific Research where these roles are developing, there are also jobs that align with corporate social responsibility being created in many industries.

All in all, the masterclass was a success. Our attendees and team members enjoyed the session, giving us insight into the ways in which we can be committed to solving climate change. On our anonymous poll, one young person commented that one key takeaway was, “even a small action is better than none” and another said, “It gave me the motivation to take action”.

If you are a young person who is currently looking to enhance your career skills and build the confidence to get ahead, find out more information here on what our ACE Programme can do to help you.