
The Education Training Collective (Etc.) was named the winner of the Investors in the Environment’s (iiE) Sustainability Influencer Award.
The accolade highlights the group’s commitment to sustainability and its efforts to inspire similar actions in others.
Erika Marshall, the group’s director of marketing and business engagement, said: “Our commitment to sustainability and the environment has been a priority across our campuses in recent years.
“The environment is something that we know truly matters to our learners.
“Our aim is to provide a platform to not only learn about sustainability but also provide opportunities to carry out those actions in a practical way.”
The iiE national sustainability awards celebrate the green achievements of UK businesses and organisations working to reduce resource use, support nature, influence change, and make a positive social impact.
The group, which is made up of Stockton Riverside College, Redcar and Cleveland College, Bede Sixth Form College, The Skills Academy, NETA Training, and Innersummit, has implemented various green measures to promote positive change.
These projects have included the creation of a Green Initiatives Group, a team of like-minded individuals from across the organisation working together to create and deliver new ideas.
Carbon literacy workshops have been delivered to staff, along with an ‘increased focus on sustainability embedded into lessons’.
The creation of a thrift exchange, gift swap, and a staff car share scheme are just some of the ways individuals are being urged to make a change and think about their environmental impact.
The college group has also made ‘significant improvements’ to the environmental performance of its central operations along with larger-scale developments such as the launch of its Clean Energy Education Hub and Retrofit Academy at Redcar and Cleveland College, focusing on skills for the low carbon energy and construction industries.
Working with Carbon Neutral Britain, Etc. has been certified carbon neutral for three years.
Etc.’s chief executive and group principal, Grant Glendinning, said: “We are incredibly proud to see the group recognised nationally for its work to make sustainability a priority and find ways to share this with our learners, staff, and communities.”
Antony Gough, national lead at iiE, said: “This year’s competition was tougher than ever, showcasing the extraordinary efforts of our members.
“Their dedication is further reflected in the record-breaking number of accreditations, award entries, and the sizeable impacts we’ve achieved together.”
Investors in the Environment (iiE) is a national environmental accreditation scheme designed to help organisations reduce their impact on the environment and get recognition for their progress.