STAFF from Priestley have completed training in how to become more carbon literate.

 

The college’s team of Progress Tutors attended the training at Manchester Metropolitan – the world’s first university to ever help its own students become carbon literate.

 

Philippa Barton, who attended the training, said: “We were looking at what we could do to reduce our carbon footprint both at college and in our own lives.

 

“Now we are sharing what we have learned with colleagues and, of course, our students.”

 

Manchester Met is bronze-accredited with the Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) and has helped almost 3,000 staff and students achieve certification.

 

For further and higher education organisations, it has developed free Carbon Literacy Training Toolkits with more than 160 institutions having access to them.

 

During the training Priestley staff learned more about a variety of ways to reduce carbon footprints – everything from the benefits of car sharing to having a vegetarian lunch.

 

Progress Tutors are now sharing that information with students in personal development sessions through games, quizzes and informative talks.

 

They’ve looked at the impact of things as varied as the clothes you wear and the food you eat, whilst also giving students an insight into careers linked with sustainability.

 

“We’ve looked at green careers and asked the students to research them because, even if they are not interested in science, there might be something related to sustainability that interests them,” said Philippa.