YOUNG people from the Wee County's high schools took part in a pioneering climate literacy and skills development programme recently.

The young people from Alloa, Alva and Dollar academies, as well as from Dunblane High School, rolled up their sleeves for the initiative from business transformation enterprise Fuel Change.

MSP Keith Brown met the pupils at the Fuel Change Live event, a one-day showcase hosted in Edinburgh's Dynamic Earth, last Wednesday November 2.

Fuel Change brings together schools, educators and businesses to engage the next generation on driving a positive transition to net zero through skills development.

The unique programme for schools, colleges and the workplace tasks next generation participants aged 16-25 to take on a real-world climate challenge that has been set by industry, collaborate on a solution and present it.

MSP Brown, representative for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, said: "It is incredibly important to engage young people in climate issues and equip them with the skills they need for the future workplace.

"That's why I was delighted to meet pupils from Dollar Academy, Alva Academy, Alloa Academy and Dunblane High School at Fuel Change Live today and to hear about their creative solutions to some of the biggest issues facing our planet today.

"It's fantastic that schools from across Clackmannanshire and Dunblane were able to take part in today's event and, with Fuel Change's ambition to engage every school and college in their pioneering programme, I am excited to see what comes next."

Having launched in 2020, Fuel Change has already worked with 1,500 participants and established partnerships with 115 organisations to solve decarbonisation challenges and unleash talent.

The Fuel Change Challenge for Education – an SCQF-level 6 accredited programme for senior-phase high school and college students – is underway in 21 pathfinder secondary schools across Scotland.

Anna Bell, challenge for education programme co-ordinator at Fuel Change, said: "Fuel Change Live was a fantastic showcase of what our next generation can achieve when given the right tools to expand their climate literacy and future workplace skills.

"We are delighted that pupils from Dollar Academy, Alva Academy, Alloa Academy and Dunblane High School were able to join us at Fuel Change Live to demonstrate their creative solutions to real-life business sustainability challenges to the business and skills community, and their local MSP Keith Brown."