Students were asked to create a promotional campaign to encourage a local transport firm to convert its vehicle fleet from traditional fossil fuels to zero emissions hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. This involved exploring the benefits of using hydrogen and how it would impact the business, the local community, and the environment, and communicating this in a persuasive manner. The goal was to make students aware of the opportunities in the energy transition and highlight how a diverse range of skills and interests can lead to a successful STEM career.
Vicky Lee, progress and achievement leader for key stage 3 at South Axholme Academy said her team was over the moon with their achievement. “We’re all so proud of the hard work we put in. It was an amazing experience to go through the stages, a bit nerve wracking, but overall incredibly motivating for the us to have reached second place,” she said.
Hendleigh Theobald, a Year 7 student who captained the team from Immingham’s Oasis Academy that also reached the final, said, “It was great to see other students’ projects and watch the fantastic pitches on stage. We really enjoyed taking part in the activities available to us throughout the day and engaging with various businesses. For our task, we had to do a lot of research and then try and explain in an interesting way why switching to hydrogen fuel would be good for the local company. It was hard work, but we pulled together as a team and loved every bit of it!”
Assisting Hendleigh and teammates was Immingham Academy’s Operations Manager, Hannah Bown, who added, “This was a fantastic opportunity for students to learn about why the green energy transition is important, but equally, the importance of communicating, convincing people of your point of view and bringing them to your side. Attending the final was an incredible experience for all of us, and the day became even more special when I was awarded the ‘Most Enterprising Teacher Award’ in recognition of my achievements in the National Careers Challenge 2024.”
The challenge is timely, with data from Science Education Tracker 2023 published this year showing that young people were less interested in science now compared to five years ago. This trend must be reversed if sectors including manufacturing, infrastructure and energy are to access and nurture the skills needed to drive the UK’s economy forward.
“The Humber schools did so well in the challenge – just goes to show that businesses can absolutely be the wind beneath the youngsters’ wings and show them what working with STEM projects could look like. It’s so important to engage students consistently throughout their academic journey and make sure the passion they hold for STEM subjects is kept alive. We want to get students excited about thinking outside the box, solving complex challenges and, of course, for STEM opportunities to be at the front of their minds when they are thinking about what to study at university,” said Lynn Willacy, Community and STEM Ambassador at Air Products.
Air Products has supplied hydrogen as a process gas from its facility at the Saltend Chemicals Park, in Hull, to the local region for the past four decades. The company is also planning to build a world-scale green hydrogen production facility at Immingham and is investing in nurturing homegrown talent in the region. The business, together with The Inspirational Learning Group who provided the organisers of The National Careers Challenge for Air Products, raises awareness of the skills needed in the region and has sponsored 10 secondary schools from the Humber to take part in the challenge this year.
To find out more about Air Products, please visit: www.airproducts.co.uk.
About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for over 80 years focused on serving energy, environmental, and emerging markets. The Company has two growth pillars driven by sustainability. Air Products’ base business provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemicals, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food. The Company also develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest clean hydrogen projects supporting the transition to low- and zero-carbon energy in the heavy-duty transportation and industrial sectors. Additionally, Air Products is the world leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment, and provides turbomachinery, membrane systems and cryogenic containers globally.
The Company had fiscal 2023 sales of $12.6 billion from operations in approximately 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of approximately $60 billion. Approximately 23,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products’ higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and reimagine what's possible to address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit airproducts.com or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram.
About The National Careers Challenge
Since 2013, The National Careers Challenge, the brainchild of the Inspirational Learning Group, has attracted over 500,000 students to participate in the award-winning programme. The challenge is open to students in Years 7 to 10 and provides real-life business challenges set by leading employers including Air Products, NatWest Thrive, Atkins Realis, JCB, Airbus and Thorpe Park. It is the UK’s largest careers and enterprise competition and has just completed its 12th year of engaging, inspiring and motivating young people.
This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release and are not guarantees of future performance. While forward-looking statements are made in good faith and based on assumptions, expectations and projections that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information, actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors, including the risk factors described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023 and other factors disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the assumptions, beliefs or expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances upon which any such forward-looking statements are based.