On Friday 26 April, Lothian’s first year Apprentice Engineers presented their Powering Futures research to Managing Director Sarah Boyd, Engineering Director Colin Barnes and the City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport Convener Scott Arthur, as well as representatives from the Powering Futures Team.

The Powering Futures Challenge brings together businesses and their young employees, working towards shared goals of prosperity and sustainability. Lothian’s Apprentices were split up into two groups to take on the challenge, which saw them come together as a team and develop their ideas for a sustainable future at Lothian.

The groups were set a bespoke challenge by Lothian and the Powering Futures team to present a workable solution in order to reduce Lothian’s reliance on gas and decrease the business’ overall carbon footprint.

Both groups worked on a variety of potential outcomes, listing their pros and cons before settling on a preferred solution and inviting questions from the panel of experts.

Throughout the process, the teams worked closely with Lothian’s Engineering Apprentice & Training Manager, Michael Taylor, and Sustainability Officer, Chris Mackay, to develop their ideas and work on the final presentations.

The challenge is aligned with Lothian’s own decarbonisation strategy, and Lothian is proud of the apprentices for their cooperation and hard work throughout the challenge.