Skills Bootcamp in Net Zero and Smart Energy Transition

The climate emergency means that organisations require people who have relevant, up-to-date knowledge and skills in areas such as net zero and smart energy to contribute to driving action to meet green and sustainability challenges.

This Skills Bootcamp in Net Zero and Smart Energy Transition has been created in collaboration with industry across the West Midlands and draws upon Keele University’s expertise in smart energy management and low carbon energy generation systems.

This course can be undertaken as a fully accreditated course worth 45 credits at Level 5 study. Successful completion of assessments is required to receive the accreditation. Learners who do not complete the assessments and meet the engagement requirements will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Part one

Part one of the bootcamp, which will last 12 weeks, comprises net zero focused CPD and will cover topics including:

• Introduction to climate change
• Related legislation
• Carbon literacy, carbon footprints and different emission scopes
• Links to biodiversity and nature recovery
• Systems thinking approaches
• Supply chain considerations
• Life cycle analysis thinking and sustainability assessment.

You will also be expected to make connections to your own professional role and consider how you can implement changes within your own sphere of influence.

Part two

The smart energy transition is the focus of the second part of the Skills Bootcamp. You will explore place-based approaches to:

• Smart local energy systems
• Smart energy management
• Renewable energy generation
• Energy storage and smart system integration
• Related legislation and technical considerations 

This course is delivered mainly online with a mixture of synchronous (at a specfic time) and asynchronous (completed at any time) activity. This Skills Bootcamp allows you to undertake both the Net Zero CPD and the Smart Energy Transition CPD as a combined package or to undertake the Smart Energy Transition course as a stand alone CPD activity.

The Net Zero CPD one-hour weekly synchronous activity will be scheduled weekly and additional study material will be provided via Keele University’s virtual learning environment the KLE.

Study for the Smart Energy Transition CPD will include two weeks of one to two hours synchronous and additional asynchronous activities. In addition to this there will be two one day in-person events on campus at Keele University. These will allow you to maximise your learning by utilising the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator and the Low Carbon Generation Park infrastructure in place at Keele University.

Skills Bootcamps are fully funded for learners by the Department for Education.

To be eligible for the funding, learners should be in employment and should live in the wider West Midlands Combined Authority Region. Please feel free to get in touch to check your eligibility.

You will have access to a wide range of student support such as academic skills support, Keele University’s Careers and Employability Service, including 24/7 digital resources and Student Services, plus access to LinkedIn Learning to continue your professional development. You will continue to have support from our careers and employability service for three years after completing the Skills Bootcamp. 

We have produced an academic skills and personal learning toolkit to support you as a work- based learner. As part of this you will undertake a skills audit at the beginning of the Skills Bootcamp so you can identify your strengths and prioritise access to resources to support your specific areas of focus. 

There is additional support from our dedicated School and Faculty Student Experience Support Officers (SESOs) with the designated mature students SESO holding a specific remit for supporting our work-based learning community and, providing a direct contact link to support. 

Keele University has excellent sustainability credentials and was awarded Global Sustainability Institution of the Year 2021, International Green Gown Awards. Sustainability is central to our research, education, campus and operations and we are committed to embedding sustainability into everything we do.

Keele’s Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, HyDeploy and Low Carbon Generation Projects have all worked with the regional industry base to address climate action on the university campus as well as pass on knowledge and learning.

The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) launched at Keele in 2018, bringing together sustainability expertise across the university from all disciplines working closely with non-academic partners to tackle solutions to real sustainability challenges, and integrates research, education and practice activities. 

The CPD on this Skills Bootcamp is also informed by Keele University’s research and development experience drawing upon nationally-leading research such as Smart Local Energy System design through the InnovateUK funded Zero Carbon Rugeley, the gas industry-led HyDeploy hydrogen blending project, and Europe's largest Smart Energy Network Demonstrator and integrated Low Carbon Energy Generation park at Keele University, all working closely with industrial partners.

Academic expertise

The bootcamp will be delivered by academics from the School of Geology, Geography and the Environment and the School of Computing and Mathematics, as well as members of the Keele University Estates Team.