The College of West Anglia’s (CWA) Green Skills Academy in Wisbech has welcomed members of the Fenland Environmental Network and not-for-profit organisation Fenland SOIL for a session exploring the importance of our peat soils and its role in the region’s agricultural future.
The event brought together three organisations with a shared interest in the environmental, agricultural and economic future of the Fens, providing an opportunity to share knowledge, explore challenges and consider how different sectors can work together to protect and make the most of one of the region’s most important natural assets.
Fenland SOIL delivered a presentation focusing on Peat soil, its characteristics and its significance to agriculture, giving attendees the opportunity to consider the relationship between the environment, food production and the long-term sustainability of the Fenland landscape.
The session is an example of the cross-organisational collaboration the Green Skills Academy has established to encourage, creating a space where education providers, employers, environmental organisations and community groups can share expertise and identify areas where their aims and priorities align.
The need for this type of collaboration is reflected in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which identifies the importance of ensuring skills provision responds to the needs of local employers and the wider economy. The latest LSIP is now moving from development into implementation, with continued employer-led oversight intended to support delivery against regional skills priorities.
Green skills are a significant part of that picture. The previous Cambridgeshire and Peterborough LSIP identified green technology and sustainability as an emerging skills need, while highlighting sustainable land use among the region’s priority areas for green skills development. It also specifically referenced CWA’s plans for a Carbon Net Zero Skills Centre at the Wisbech Campus.
Ashley Dolling, Chair of the Fenland Environmental Network said, “As Chair of the Fenland Environment Network (FEN), I appreciate the importance of strong organisations and institutions in helping to deliver a sustainable future. Hosting FEN today at the CWA Green Skills Academy highlighted the value of bringing the right people together in the right place to share knowledge, skills and ideas to address some of our most pressing environmental challenges.
The Green Skills Academy is a leading centre for sustainable learning in our region, demonstrated both through its investment in developing the future green workforce and its support for collaborative initiatives such as today’s event. We were also pleased to hear from Fenland SOIL, whose presentation on soil science and the future of farming in the Fens provided valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing our landscape.
By working together, we can equip people with the knowledge, skills, training and opportunities needed to build a more sustainable future, while continuing to protect and enhance our environment for generations to come.”
Alex Meads, Green Skills Manager at the College of West Anglia said, “Bringing the Fenland Environmental Network together at the Green Skills Academy is a great example of how education, industry and the wider community can work together around a shared purpose. The facilities give us the opportunity to put learning into practice, while Fenland SOIL’s presentation showed how knowledge and collaboration can translate into practical action. For the College, it’s about making sure our students have the skills, experience, confidence and understanding they need to contribute to the future workforce. By connecting with organisations working in this area, we can help discover partnerships and see the opportunities available for our students while supporting the wider shift towards a more sustainable future.”
For CWA, the purpose of the Academy extends beyond delivering courses. It is intended to provide a physical space where conversations about the future of the region can take place and where education, industry and community organisations can work together to turn shared priorities into practical action.