Beginning a Career in Sustainability
Energy Garden’s paid, certified Youth Training Programme focuses on giving young Londoners the chance to learn about renewable energy, biodiversity and gardening. Working with industry partners, we focus on placing trainees into internships and full time careers in the sustainability world. Here, former Energy Garden trainee Elizabeth Gray shares her experience starting a career in sustainability, from the youth training programme to a placement with Start Campus, a green data centre in Sines, Portugal.
From Energy Garden intern to green data analyst at Start Campus in Portugal, let’s hear from Elizabeth Gray.
By Elizabeth Gray:
I applied to the Energy Garden Youth training programme as an inexperienced environmental enthusiast, driven by a passion to engage in green energy initiatives within my local community. My university modules in environmental sciences and green infrastructure had prepared me for real-world applications of my studies so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to gain valuable experience with Energy Garden.
The application process was quick and simple - a streamlined process with an interview that involved genuine dialogue about my aspirations for the local community. Throughout my internship, I embraced a multitude of responsibilities and innovative projects with the other interns:
• I contributed to the establishment of an energy cooperative that epitomised the ethos of “power to the people,” creating a model where the community could directly benefit from and manage their energy resources.
• I played a role in enriching urban soil and transforming unused places into plots yielding fresh vegetables and promoting urban agriculture.
• By learning how to create my own solar panels and how solar panels are integrated into the local energy mix, I was able to contribute to transforming solar power into an element of our local energy strategy.
• I took part in an innovative programme that used rainwater harvested from station rooftops to pump water, illustrating the sustainable use of natural resources.
I was also offered unparalleled exposure to industry experts. Insights gleaned from meetings with leaders from Pioneer Point Partners and Triple Point expanded my understanding of industry trends and future growth in sustainability. Furthermore, working so closely to the pioneers behind Energy Garden, such as the CEO and senior coordinators, taught me the value behind cooperative business practices and green community development.
Following this formative experience, I was honoured with a recommendation from the CEO of Energy Garden, Agamemnon Otero, to join a renewables platform - Start Campus - in Portugal. This platform focuses on developing a large-scale green data centre that will be powered by local renewable energy projects. The subsequent interview process was efficient and streamlined, targeted at what I can do to showcase my strengths and maximise my time there.
At Start Campus, I worked within the energy team, focusing on my speciality in data analytics where I visualised European wind and solar energy metrics. My internship with Start Campus was marked by pivotal learnings:
1) Programming Skills: I used Python to manipulate REST APIs and dynamically visualise large-scale datasets which has exponentially enhanced my technical skills.
2) Software Services: Exploring the functionalities of different software and understanding how they contribute to the industry’s operations.
3) Insight into the European energy market: I gained invaluable insight into the current volatile energy market and how the energy we use is generated, traded and supplied. I learnt the value of companies like Start Campus and the positive impact they bring to the market.
4) Business Practices and soft skills: I learnt the running of a green business and have honed essential soft skills thanks to the support and collaboration from an incredible team!
As I look to the future, my goal is to continue to be an asset to the energy sector, leveraging data analytics to foster sustainable communities. I am convinced that data, when wielded with passion and creativity, can be the key in constructing resilient societies from the grassroots level - societies that are not only self-sustaining but also integral to our collective environmental management.
In sum, my journey from applying to the Energy Garden youth training programme to my energy internship in Portugal and now towards a career in data analytics and sustainability has been an extraordinary experience. I am looking forward to contributing to a future where data analytics and sustainability work together in forming the communities we aspire to live in.
About the Energy Garden Youth Training Programme:
The Energy Garden Youth Training Programme is AQA-certified and paid at London Living Wage (£13.15). Young people between the ages of 18-24 are invited to gain valuable experience in cooperative business practices, environmental technology, communications, and community development which allows them to take their careers forward.
We are now accepting applications on a rolling basis, with programmes starting each quarter and running for two months. Can you help us find the next Energy Garden Allstar? Please write to our education coordinator Leila leila@energygarden.org.uk to express your interest and we will send you an application. Read about the programme in full at this link.