RENFREWSHIRE PUPILS TO WORK WITH SCOTLAND’S MAJOR INDUSTRIES TO SOLVE REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES

• 100 local pupils to work with industry mentors to develop solutions for energy, engineering, food and drink and sustainable housing challenges 

Pupils across Renfrewshire are preparing to take on some of Scottish industry’s biggest sustainability challenges, as they participate in the Powering Futures Schools Challenge 2025/26 – a nationwide programme that brings schools and industry together to equip young people with the skills, confidence and experience they need for the jobs of the future.

This academic year marks the largest participation in the Powering Futures programme to date, with over 100 schools signed up across the country and around 2,300 pupils set to take part.  

In Renfrewshire, 100 pupils from St Ninian’s High School, Woodfarm High School, Eastwood High School, Mearns Castle High School, Barrhead High School, St Benedict’s High School and Johnstone High School will work in teams to research, develop and present solutions to challenges that have been set by leading Scottish businesses, receiving support from industry mentors.  

Powering Futures was established in 2020 to empower young people with the skills, critical thinking and confidence to enter the workplace. At its heart is the Powering Futures Challenge Programme, which tasks teams of S5 and S6 pupils with solving a problem set by industry. The programme supports pupils in developing skills in teamwork, problem-solving and presenting, and culminates with pupils presenting their creative solutions to a panel of industry judges. At the end of the process, participants will gain a SCQF Level 6 qualification, equivalent to a Scottish Higher. 

Now in its fifth year, Powering Futures is celebrating its largest-ever cohort and a record number of organisations setting this year’s challenges. Some 2,300 pupils will work in teams to tackle one of five real-world problems designed by leading Scottish industries, reflecting the priorities shaping Scotland’s future economy:

• Seafood Scotland – ‘Fish-Tales’: Helping Scots to rediscover their local superfood by designing a campaign that reconnects Scottish people with local sustainable seafood 
• Vital Energi with the Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB) and HCI Skills Gateway – ‘Hot Stuff’: Design a town for 2,500 new homes that showcases the opportunities that new heating technology offers – creating communities where heating is affordable, efficient and low carbon
• BAM and Siemens Energy – ‘Watt’s Next?’:  creating a nine-month timeline of experiences and events that redesigns how young people can discover careers in clean energy, and be connected with potential employers
• SSEN Transmission – ‘Power-Up’: Create a plan for moving the equipment and materials for new electricity infrastructure to a remote environment whilst minimising the impact to local communities and the environment
• BAE Systems – ‘Hidden Treasure’: Design a space that benefits your local community using end-of-life shipping containers and sustainable materials. 

Industry mentors from these organisations will work directly with pupils in the classroom, guiding their research and helping develop creative solutions. The programme will culminate in spring 2026, when pupils present their ideas to a panel of industry judges at a regional final taking part in Hampden Park, 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.”