How SSEN Transmission is combating the social mobility cold spots in Scotland

SSEN Transmission, one of our key partners is responsible for the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland. Beyond powering homes and businesses, SSEN Transmission is helping to power opportunity by supporting young people in some of Scotland’s most rural areas.

This is our second year working with SSEN Transmission, and our partnership has enabled us to provide STEM experiences to many young people in the Scottish Highlands and rural areas of Scotland. Through this collaboration, we’re breaking down barriers to opportunity and nurturing the next generation of innovators, engineers, and problem-solvers.

Last year, we engaged over 1,400 young people through our partnership. This collaboration opened valuable pathways for the next generation of STEM professionals, enabling them to earn prestigious accreditation through the Industrial Cadets Challenger and Gold Level awards.

With 19% of teens in rural areas of the UK unable to access work experience that aligns with their career aspirations, this partnership is addressing a real need. By combining SSEN Transmission’s industry expertise with EDT’s commitment to youth development, the partnership is helping to inspire, educate, and prepare young people for careers in STEM.

This year, we have delivered six virtual Primary Industrial Cadet Challenger Experiences so far, with two more still to go. During these sessions, pupils learn about five different business areas through ‘Net Zero Heroes’ and then use ‘Scratch’ to code a game, with each theme focusing on a different business area.

We have also delivered three Face-to-Face Challenger events with S1–S3 students. In these workshops, students explored the same five business areas and designed a map of a village featuring transmission towers. They then programmed Ozobots to navigate their village, checking each tower by following specific code sequences.

Students who have participated in our recent Challenger events have said: "I liked the coding because now I'll be able to program different things."

“My favourite part of this workshop is making the transmission power lines and to see how ozobots work”.

In addition tot his, we will be delivering eight Industrial Cadets Bronze and six Silver programmes — Bronze will launch in November and Silver will launch in December. Each project includes a bespoke brief to help teams gain a stronger understanding of SSEN Transmission and their work.

SSEN Transmission’s support via these STEM projects engages students from P5 through to S3, helping them achieve their Industrial Cadets Challenger, Bronze, or Silver Industrial Cadets Awards.

Together, we’re ensuring that young people, no matter where they live can access the skills, experiences and inspiration they need to succeed in the STEM industries of the future.