Mentorship is necessary in today’s job market and key for driving innovation, career development, and access to professional opportunities. However, many young professionals struggle to secure mentorship, a critical missing piece from their professional development. 

According to Forbes, 76% of people think mentorship is vital to early-stage professional success, but only 37% have a mentor. Inequitable opportunities,  lack of experience, and restraints caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have made securing employment for youth more dependent on networking and privileged social capital. This creates greater exclusivity in the workforce, given systemic issues that lead to inequitable opportunities in networks and education. 

Companies and organizations benefit greatly when they provide support to young professionals and build leadership skills at every stage of their careers. Mentorship enhances the development of soft and technical skills critical to employment, and encourages diversity to create a well-rounded team, improving team dynamics.

Since 2009, Student Energy has worked with over 50,000 young people from more than 120 countries, empowering them with the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to lead the energy transition. Mentorship is a cornerstone of this mission – by connecting mentees with experienced professionals, we ensure our global youth network gains access to tailored guidance for their unique projects and challenges, practical advice on navigating the climate and energy fields, and the opportunity to learn directly from leaders in the industry. 

What are the Mentorship Models?

Student Energy will offer three streams of mentorship for a flexible commitment from mentors and mentees:

1. Flash Mentorship: 1 x 1-hour mentorship session every 1-3 months focused on gathering necessary information, securing connections, or learning a skill. Flash mentorship will likely occur with a different mentee each session. 
2. Project & Career Development: Monthly, 1-hour recurring meetings supporting a team project or advising on career goals and professional development. 
3. Committed Mentorship: Weekly or bi-weekly meetings building a solid mentorship relationship, supporting a team project through completion, or young professionals through their early stage career development. 

Commitment levels can change throughout the cycle, and the change can be agreed upon by the mentor and the mentee.

How the Mentor Matching Process Works

• Mentor Registration: Bloomberg staff interested in becoming mentors must complete the Mentor Registration Form (linked below). All staff who apply are added to our database designed to help us create mentor matches. We may contact you anytime between March and December 2025 about mentor matching with our program participants.

• Mentor Requests: The Student Energy community can submit a detailed mentorship request form outlining their goals and areas where they are seeking support. 
• Matching and Introduction: Student Energy will review and screen all requests, and facilitate the matching process. Matches will be made based on your skills and experiences and the mentee’s needs. Once a match is made, we will introduce you to the mentee via email, and we will help schedule and facilitate the initial meeting

Why become a Student Energy Mentor?

By registering as a Student Energy Mentor, you will:

• Provide guidance to youth-led projects, professional development, and career exploration.
• Connect with a global community of innovative youth and professionals dedicated to addressing challenges in the energy transition.
• Strengthen your coaching and mentorship abilities while making a meaningful impact.
• Plan an active role in shaping the workforce of tomorrow and driving the sustainable energy transition forward.

This is a great opportunity to inspire, engage, and innovate alongside the next generation of energy leaders.

This is your opportunity to play a direct role in shaping the future of energy. By becoming a mentor, you’ll directly contribute to youth-led solutions and gain unparalleled access to a network of passionate, forward-thinking young leaders.

Become a Student Energy Mentor Today

Becoming a Student Mentor is an easy process. Simply complete the Mentor Registration Form below and we will follow up with you with for more details and possible mentees to work with.

APPLY NOW

If you have any questions about Student Energy Mentorship, please contact us at mentorship@studentenergy.org.

CHECK OUT OUR 2023 ANNUAL REPORT

Highlights

Here’s a sneak peak to our 2023 Annual Report!

From our Board Chair

From our Executive Director

2023: Our Impact at a Glance

Here’s a glimpse of Student Energy’s 2023 impact in numbers:

• Global Reach: Our Programs Ecosystem (7 active programs) engaged a total of 826 participants from 116 countries, 78 of which are developing economies.
• Youth Empowerment: Supported 9 global youth delegations at prestigious events, and 407 youth delegates from 95 countries attended SES 2023, the largest youth-led energy summit.
• Global Community Engagement: Reached 32,730 people through our global Chapters network, with a membership of 4,369 students from different universities across the world.
• Mentorship, Early Career and Project Development: 32 graduates completed the first cohort of the Guided Projects program, received 1,604 Career Training and 1,063 Fellowship applications from youth interested in joining our capacity-building and mentorship-oriented programs.
• Networking: Spoke at 34 panels and events in the climate and energy space worldwide, including the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) UAE, Climate Week NYC, and Africa Energy Forum, among others.
• Recognition: Received 3 individual awards and one organizational accolade, “Best Nonprofit Employer: Youth Advancement for an organization with 20+ staff”, awarded by CharityVillage.

5 accomplishments we’re celebrating:

1. Successfully hosting SES 2023 in Abu Dhabi, bringing together 407 young people from around the world.

Making history as the first International Student Energy Summit held in the MENA region – a global hub for energy, SES 2023 featured 407 youth delegates from all over the world to meaningfully collaborate with sector and community leaders on energy solutions. We are proud to work with several partners for the first time, including Bezos Earth Fund, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and coordinated with NYU Abu Dhabi and the COP 28 UAE team as the Summit took place as an official side event of the UN Climate Change Conference for the very first time.

2. Activating a first cohort of youth-led clean energy projects in solar PV through the Guided Projects program and expanding the program’s offerings and reach.

With 32 graduates from 6 teams representing Kenya, Canada, and Peru, the Guided Projects program provided teams with the firsthand experience of developing solar PV projects to solve local energy problems in their communities. After a successful first cohort, Student Energy focused on retooling and securing additional resources for the program’s continuation in February 2024.

3. Releasing and disseminating our first round of the three research projects with active stakeholder engagement throughout.

Under Student Energy’s newly launched Research and Youth Engagement program, we launched the Global Youth Energy Outlook (GYEO), the Youth Impact Framework, and the Energy Transition Skills Project.

VIEW THE REPORTS

4. Integrating mentorship as a core aspect of our Programs Ecosystem, offering our youth network platforms to build connections through mentorship offerings.

Mentorship is the foundation of the Student Energy Career Training (SECT) program, and regional and language-specific mentorship is necessary and achieved through individual recruitment from program coordinators who are globally dispersed.

5. Amplifying youth-led action on energy on global stages and decision-making spaces

Student Energy attended 23 global energy and climate events, including the New York Climate Week, Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, and the Africa Energy Forum among others. We participated as speakers and moderators at 34 events, and hosted 11 events at COP 28 and the Student Energy Summit. We acted in an advisory capacity for several youth councils, and hosted the very first Youth Energy Narratives Council under the Research and Youth Engagement portfolio.

We’ve got so much more in store for you! Explore our 2023 Annual Report:

STUDENT ENERGY'S 2023 ANNUAL REPORT 

Thank you for standing by us as we empower the next generation of leaders in driving a just and equitable energy future! Your continued support fuels our mission and inspires us every step of the way.

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Meet the former president of the Student Energy Chapter at Monterrey Institute of Technology (Tec de Monterrey) – Benjamin Betancourt Tovar! He was president of the Chapter from August 2022 to July 2023. Currently, he is studying Nanotechnology Engineering at his University in Monterrey, Mexico.

“In January of 2023, I had the opportunity to be selected and attend the 13th IRENA Assembly as an IRENA Youth Delegate in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In the same event, I was able to participate in the IRENA Youth Forum: The Next Generation of Decision Makers, where I was part of a panel discussion, expressing how we, the youth, face challenges in the development of science, innovation and technology for energetic affairs. Apart from the assembly, the Youth Delegation had the opportunity to attend the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and visit Noor Abu Dhabi, the world’s largest stand-alone operational solar plant. During my trip, I was thrilled to meet new people from all over the world with different perspectives, meet high level representatives from different organizations and also to learn about the energetic sector developments and challenges from IRENA representatives from all over the world. After this exciting experience, I came back to Mexico with fresh ideas and motivation to design and implement solutions in my community towards the youth-led energetic transition, working within my chapter and also in the development of “ANSE: México Joven por la Energía” [Mexican Youth for Energy], a youth-led energy network within Mexico!” – Benjamin Betancourt Tovar

Interested to start a Student Energy Chapter at your university? Head over to Starting a Chapter on our website and fill out an Expression of Interest form!

Debby’s career interests lie at the intersection of energy, environment, data, and policy. She currently resides in Lagos, Nigeria. She completed her undergraduate degree at the Federal University of Agriculture where she earned a Bachelor’s of Agriculture in Soil Science and Land Management. Much of her previous experience was focused on agritech, fintech, and business research. Eventually, she decided she wanted to focus on clean energy to influence advocacy and implement policies necessary to electrify Nigeria and Africa, while collaborating and working with clean energy businesses to achieve economic development and transformation.

After joining SECT, Debby applied for the Naija Policy Hackathon where she was selected along with 400 young people across various themes. She was selected to participate in the Climate Act Track to suggest policy recommendations to improve the Nigeria Climate Change Act alongside her team members. Though her team did not get to be part of the finalists, it was worth the effort since it her my first experience around policy making.

Connect with Debby on LinkedIn!

Three more days left to apply for the upcoming Student Energy Career Training program 4th cohort! Apply by August 31, 2023 at 23:59 PST!

“Clean Cooking is a youth issue. 90% of the world’s youth live in regions with the lowest access to clean cooking. This disproportionately impacts youth education, employment, and health.” – Katja Lasseur, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ghana, at the Forum’s Opening Plenary

Youth are taking action – as entrepreneurs, activists, researchers, and more – to raise awareness and improve access to clean cooking solutions in their communities and countries, but often lack reliable access to youth-inclusive opportunities to participate as equitable stakeholders across the clean cooking ecosystem.

Photo courtesy of the Clean Cooking Alliance at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022

First-ever youth delegation at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022

In October 2022, The Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) partnered with Student Energy to support a delegation of 20 global youth to participate in the Clean Cooking Forum in Accra, Ghana.  

The Clean Cooking Forum is the sector’s flagship event, convening leading policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, donors, and other key partners working towards achieving clean cooking for all and accelerating progress toward global development and climate goals. The addition of a youth delegation to the Forum recognizes and celebrates the vital role of youth in realizing these ambitions.

The delegation included 20 diverse participants from 14 countries, identified through Student Energy and CCA’s youth networks.  Delegates from across Sub-Saharan Africa, where the lack of clean cooking is particularly pronounced,  made up 70% of the youth delegation, and more than 50% of delegates were women, acknowledging the gender equity dimensions of the issue.

Delegates not only had the opportunity to attend the Forum plenary and breakout sessions, innovation expo, and networking receptions, but many of the youth delegates participated as speakers, moderators, and exhibitors throughout the three-day event.  For example, the session, “Changemakers of Today: Youth Advancing Sustainable Action,” featured a panel of six young entrepreneurs and innovators discussing how they are tackling clean cooking challenges and the support youth need to scale their efforts.

“From where I stand, clean cooking is not just about food. It transcends the goings-on confined to the kitchen and spills into health, gender equality, economic gains and sustainable societies.”- Cherop Soy, Ecowarrior Kenya and Youth Delegate at the 2022 Clean Cooking Forum

Student Energy supported delegates with preparatory and interactive webinars focused on presentation and networking skills, and provided on-site support and a post-event debrief. Delegates were able to share their expertise through speaking engagements, engage in discussions about youth involvement in decision-making, and help spread the forum’s key messaging by taking on communication roles. The active involvement of young people at the forum led to greater ambition from stakeholders in collaborating with them on clean cooking initiatives.

Photo courtesy of the Clean Cooking Alliance at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022

Intergenerational Roundtable on Youth Engagement in Clean Cooking

On the final day of the Clean Cooking Forum, an Intergenerational Roundtable on Youth Engagement in Clean Cooking brought together eminent senior leaders from the clean cooking sector to engage in dialogue with the youth delegation and other youth attending the Forum. The Roundtable was designed to showcase the emerging talent of young changemakers to participate in clean cooking transitions, understand the challenges young people are encountering in the sector, and discuss how senior leaders can support youth-led change and create an enabling and inclusive environment for youth to acquire, develop and utilize their skills.

More than 15 youth participants were joined by senior leaders, including H.E. Samira Bauwmia, Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana Dymphna van der Lans, CEO of Clean Cooking Alliance; Sheila Oparaocha, Director of the ENERGIA Network; and Mohan Das Manandhar, Chairperson at Sustainable Prosperity Initiative Nepal, in an interactive discussion facilitated by Jaff Marilyn Bongmo, a youth delegate from Cameroon. 

Photo courtesy of the Clean Cooking Alliance at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022

The lively dialogue explored why inclusive youth participation is vital for achieving universal access to clean cooking and the challenges youth currently face in having their voices heard, getting a seat at decision-making tables, and accessing opportunities for meaningful engagement.  

Participants discussed a variety of ways to increase intergenerational collaboration, empower youth leaders, and support education and capacity-building activities in the clean cooking sector.

“Clean Cooking is a youth issue. First and foremost young people need to be creative participants and at the center of solutions. Young people also benefit from clean cooking from access to health, education and employment opportunities.” – Helen Watts, Executive Director of Student Energy

Youth Delegation Calls to Action

Following the Forum, the Youth Delegation developed the following calls to action, which focus both on what youth themselves can do to effectively self-organize and increase momentum behind this cause, and what organizations and decision-makers should do to ensure that youth are meaningfully included across the clean cooking ecosystem:

1. Stakeholders in the clean cooking sector should proactively work to ensure that youth are equally represented at the table and have their core needs met, in able to meaningfully participate. 
2. Capacity building for youth does not end with providing skills training. Youth must also be provided with industry opportunities to use these skills and connect them to the market.
3. Stakeholders across the clean cooking ecosystem must recognize and work to remove barriers that limit the participation of youth, women, and marginalized communities, actively creating incentives and opportunities for inclusive engagement, training, and employment in the clean cooking sector.
4. Established leaders in the clean cooking sector should leverage the power of youth as changemakers and innovators: this can be particularly valuable in the form of mentorship, which is a two-way learning process.
5. There is no one way to contribute to clean cooking. Young people should seek actionable ways to participate in clean cooking, leaning into their unique skills and expertise – as entrepreneurs, engineers, storytellers, artists, and beyond.
6. Young people should collaborate to form a unified effort, which requires working at a grassroots level with students and other youth and being ready to present clearly defined, data-driven asks when they have seats at the decision-making table or a chance to speak directly with established leaders. 

Photo courtesy of the Clean Cooking Alliance at the Clean Cooking Forum 2022

Youth Insights Feature: Check out youth delegate Cherop Soy’s blog post “What Clean Cooking Isn’t” for more insights gathered by young people at the forum on clean cooking.

Conclusion: Clean cooking is a youth issue

The Clean Cooking Forum 2022, placed young changemakers at the forefront of the clean cooking dialogue, with youth and senior leaders aligned on the urgent need for action and the essential role young people will play in achieving universal access. 

“The places where the biggest gaps on clean cooking have the highest youth populations. Youth are on the ground and have the knowledge to bring”. –Akil Callendar, Youth Specialist at Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), at the Forum’s Youth Closing Plenary

CCA continues to recognize the vital role of youth in achieving universal access to clean cooking and has recently undertaken a youth consultation process and interactive webinar to inform its forthcoming youth engagement strategy.  

Student Energy is excited to continue working with CCA in 2023 and beyond in expanding the youth engagement agenda in clean cooking. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements and activities to help youth act and lead on clean cooking in their countries and communities.

About Clean Cooking Alliance

Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA) works with a global network of partners to build an inclusive industry that makes clean cooking accessible to the three billion people who live each day without it. Established in 2010, CCA is driving consumer demand, mobilizing investment to build a pipeline of scalable businesses, and fostering an enabling environment that allows the sector to thrive.

Clean cooking transforms lives by improving health, protecting the climate and the environment, empowering women, and helping consumers save time and money.

About Student Energy

Student Energy is a global youth-led organization empowering young people to accelerate the sustainable energy transition through a variety of initiatives, including university-based Chapters, a digital Energy System Map that has reached over 13 million views, and the largest student-led energy conference in the world. Student Energy works with a network of 50,000 young people from over 120 countries to build the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to take action on energy.

Starting out at one time as the sole full-time employee of the organization, Meredith has spent the past 8 years focused on building Student Energy – slowly at first and then very rapidly – to a 40+ person global organization as of the end of 2022.

Student Energy was initially founded by three young energy leaders in Calgary, Alberta (Kali Taylor, Janice Tran, and Sean Collins) and after two successful International Student Energy Summits and a burgeoning Energy Literacy Program, it soon became clear that there was an urgent need for Student Energy to develop into an organization that could serve youth around the world on a sustainable, ongoing basis. Initially tasked with developing Student Energy’s still-continuing Chapters program, Meredith soon became the Executive Director of Student Energy after the 2015 Student Energy Summit.

Meredith’s leadership has put youth at the forefront and gave youth perspectives a space and a platform. Her passion for young people in the energy transition sparked innovative ideas that turned into tangible formulas and solutions that Student Energy adopts to this day.

Student Energy now has 43 staff working from all across the world, spanning different continents and regions. Meredith led the creation of Student Energy’s Theory of Change, a document defining the organization’s end goals that uses backwards mapping to illustrate how the organization can create the conditions for the end goals to be realized. 

Student Energy embraced growth by expanding the organization’s Programs Ecosystem. Beginning with SE Chapters, the organization now has the SE Fellowship, SE Career Training, SE Guided Projects, the International Student Energy Summit, and SevenGen. Through these programs, we have built a large network of alums who continue to stay connected with Student Energy and their fellow alums while working towards advancing the energy transition.

Student Energy also developed extensive Policy and Advocacy research projects, including the Global Youth Energy Outlook, the Energy Transition Skills Project, and the Youth Impact Framework, all of which are focusing on youth voices in the climate and energy space.

Meredith continues to encourage young people to fulfill their potential toward the energy transition. Her belief in young people is what inspires Student Energy to continue doing the real work for youth in the climate and energy world. 

We interviewed Meredith to find out what she learned in the 8 years leading Student Energy from the ground up. 

How has Student Energy evolved over the past eight years?

Student Energy has evolved so much in the last eight years, and in so many different ways. We’ve gone from me being the only staff person working in my living room to having 40 staff in eight different countries around the world. We have developed, implemented, and stuck to an incredible Theory of Change that focuses on both training and people for the future that we need and need them to deliver on. We have worked with the other actors in the energy system to make sure that young people are taken more seriously and engaged well.

In your time as the Executive Director [of Student Energy], what has changed in the energy and climate landscape?

So much has changed with the youth, energy, and climate landscape since. When I started in 2015, young people were not taken seriously. I was often told that ‘Well, they don’t vote and so they’re not going to be part of this.’ There is no critical thinking about where young people are coming from.

I think now young people are seen as such a force in the world, but it’s still something that people are often hesitant to engage with. That is one huge piece of landscape – people actually are starting to value young people and starting to recognize that young people are, in fact, the global majority. The global average age is under 30.

If we’re not engaging, working with, and designing for young people, we’re not going to make any climate progress. People are really starting to get that. And that’s so much thanks to the work that young climate activists have done, and also groups like Student Energy, who have followed up that activism with concrete, tangible formulas and solutions for how to really work with, train, and engage young people.

So it takes a village [to create this], and the whole ecosystem has been really important. But the world is fundamentally shifted in that way. The world is also fundamentally shifted on climate action. Everyone, no matter where you are in the world, now admits that climate change is real and needs to be acted upon. That wasn’t the case when I started.

There are still a lot more debates, so sometimes it can feel like there’s not enough progress. But it is vastly different and moving so much more in the right direction. I think that’s one thing I feel lucky about, is eight years has actually given me a lot to look back on, to actually see where young people have made insane amounts of progress in this world, whereas, in a day-in, day-out, six-month timeline, it doesn’t always feel that way.

What is one unexpected thing you learned while you were Executive Director [of Student Energy]?

One of the biggest and best surprises was that champions for your work and for you will come in such unexpected places and that the biggest thing that you can do as a leader is just to continually talk about your vision to as many people as you can to see who wants to be on the support team. 

If you would have told me who my biggest mentors and supporters would be when I started out, I don’t think I ever would have believed you. Sometimes the people you feel should be on your team are nowhere to be found. But then you’ll find other people who really have no responsibility but are just passionate about young people and doing the right thing in the world. And they will be there for you and it will make all the difference. So the biggest, most lovely surprise has just been the amount of people who’ve come out of the woodwork to say that they believe in young people too, and that they want to make this happen.

What are you most proud of?

I’m really most proud of how our staff have developed in Student Energy. So many people started with Student Energy as their very first job, maybe as an assistant working 10 hours a week, and have grown into directing portfolios, having mentorship networks of their own, and running so many programs. In addition to our staff, the young people who work for us are incredibly inspiring and really are some of the biggest impact that we have.

The other thing I’m really proud of is how I think we really stood up for young people and what’s right to do in this space. To this day, all of our programs are designed and led by young people. That’s something that we haven’t changed. Despite becoming a multi-million dollar organization, we are still really true to what young people need to be successful in this space and aren’t directed necessarily by our funders or anything like that.

We set the agenda for what young people need, then we go out and find the supporters that make that happen. I think Student Energy has really proven how you can effectively work with young people in a way that other people didn’t see as possible because they weren’t really willing to listen to the young people that they were working to serve.

I’m so proud that we’ve maintained that throughout the years.

How many Student Energy Summits have you attended?

I’ve attended three in-person summits and one virtual summit.

What’s your favorite memory from SES (International Student Energy Summit)?

My favorite memory is at SES 2017 in Merida, Mexico. David Hochschild, the Chair of the California Energy Commission was on the dance floor at the gala, jumping up and down with all the delegates and exclaiming, “Man, this is like a climate hope wedding. It’s fun like a wedding, but it’s like a climate hope summit where everyone believes we could do this!”

And that’s the experience that I want everyone to have. It’s the rallying cry that we can do this.

What are you excited about for SES 2023?

I’m honestly so excited for the team. It is such an incredible experience to go through. So many of them will go from not really knowing how to do this to feeling confident with fundraising, communications, delegate recruitment, and so many core business skills. I can’t wait to see them evolve as every SES team has and really see what that will do for them in their careers.

What’s one piece of advice you have for the Student Energy youth network?

My biggest piece of advice for the youth network is don’t be paralyzed by choice. There are so many things that can happen in the world. There are so many opportunities, or sometimes, it can be so hard to find an opportunity. But what’s really crucial is that you keep moving forward, step by step, to make it happen. And so sometimes maybe the ideal job won’t appear. But it’s important to take what you can get in front of you and keep your values strong. Keep learning, growing, and building. Nothing is perfect and you won’t find perfect, but do what you can with what’s in front of you.

What’s one piece of advice you have for the Student Energy staff?

For the Student Energy staff, I just want to see everyone stick to it and dream really big. There’s so much you can do in each of your roles and so much that you can take hold of. It is such an incredible opportunity to have the platform of Student Energy, to have the internal support that we have, and to have the network and the opportunities that we have. So take a hold of all of that and be really clear about what you see as the need for yourself and for others. You are the target audience. 

All the best things we have [at Student Energy] have come from SE staff who are willing to take a risk. And I would love to see people continue to do that.

What’s one thing you’re excited to do now that you’re no longer Executive Director [of Student Energy]?

I honestly am still very much looking forward to being the organization’s biggest cheerleader. But beyond that, definitely looking forward to a few more dog walks, ideally a little bit less travel. But I think also, my next mission is to really explore how we continue to develop and make effective teams in all other types of sectors.

I’m really excited to actually go in and do that and take some of the skills I’ve learned in Student Energy about how to build and scale organizations and transfer that to other places that need it as well. Finally, I will not be taking on pottery as suspected (laughs).

Click to watch the full interview video here.

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The recently published  World Energy Employment report from the International Energy Agency calls attention to the growing demand for highly skilled workers in the energy sector. Clean energy employment is set to grow to an estimated 30 million by 2030, creating a need for workers with energy sector-specific skill sets. Despite this immense potential for growth and innovation, the clean energy sector will face a dire shortage of talent in the coming years. At the same time, there are thousands of young people worldwide who are deeply passionate about a just energy transition and have the potential to become leaders in the industry. However, they lack access to skills training programs, mentorship networks, and entry-level project experience needed to enter these careers. The clean energy sector is one field where partnerships are required to break down barriers that divide youth from the workforce. 

Student Energy Career Training (SECT)

The program connects young people between 18 and 30 from diverse backgrounds directly to energy industry partners who share experience, provide mentorship, and support the next generation of the energy workforce. This project partnership is committed to promoting youth voices that inspire innovative ideas and collaborative solutions necessary for a sustainable energy future.

As a partner, SEforALL will mentor and guide the 2022 SECT cohort through learning about and addressing a real-world energy problem. SEforALL will be hosting two projects in this cohort — the first addressing healthcare, and the second for China- UN Platform on Climate Cooperation and Renewable Energy. Over half the world’s energy employment is in the Asia Pacific region, and the People’s Republic of China has the largest number of energy workers. It has an estimated near 20 million workers and is home to energy’s largest and fastest growing workforce, making it an essential market for research and analysis on the energy transition. This platform aims to accelerate and scale up the deployment of renewable energy in identified countries by sharing knowledge and success stories from China, while also leveraging China’s expertise and development support to accelerate the deployment of clean energy in countries across the Global South, most notably in Africa.

About Student Energy Career Training

Student Energy Career Training (SECT) is a 4-month cohort-based program aimed at young people between 18 and 30 who are interested in pursuing a career that advances the energy transition but may not yet have the skills, knowledge, or connections necessary to get a ‘foot in the door’. Led by Student Energy and co-created by knowledge partners Enel Foundation, this program offers students a comprehensive introduction to the current energy system, decarbonization pathways, energy economics, and policy. 

Student Energy Career Training aims to provide students in each cohort with the technical and soft skills necessary to secure an internship or entry-level role in the clean energy sector by connecting students with mentors from leading energy organizations like Enel Foundation and SEforALL. They provide subject matter expertise and support students in becoming career-ready through energy system education, project management skill building, and career coaching.

About Sustainable Energy for All

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations, government leaders, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society, and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) – access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 – in line with the Paris Agreement on climate.

We work to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential. Partnerships are essential to our work. Delivering on the mandate of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the Paris Agreement demands concerted action. Given the ambition of both international frameworks, this will not be a small task and we will not achieve progress alone.

Call to Action

Applications to join the 2023 Student Energy Career Training cohort open in December 2022!

The program is open to young people aged 18-30 around the world from all academic and professional backgrounds. Beginning in January, the program will be a 4-month course featuring core energy education and mentorship from Student Energy and expert energy organizations, including SEforALL.

Learn more at: https://studentenergy.org/program/career_training_program/

Young people today want to be part of the energy transition, and implement solutions to mitigate climate change. Now we need to ensure that there are training programs available to help them gain the skills they need for a job, and that governments and companies are working with them to design the energy future. To assist in achieving both goals, Student Energy is thrilled to be welcoming the Enel Foundation as a Knowledge partner on the Student Energy Career Training program and our Global Youth Energy Outlook Action Toolkits. 

The Student Energy Career Training Program is a 4-month intensive cohort-based program aimed at young people between the ages of 18 and 30 who are interested in pursuing a career that advances the energy transition. The program is designed to simulate an internship experience, during which members of the cohort work side-by-side with practitioners on real-life projects. In this framework, participants are also provided with a comprehensive introduction to the current energy system, decarbonization pathways, energy economics, and governance, as well as with applied skills training related to project management and finance.  

The Global Youth Energy Outlook is a first of its kind dataset that maps out what over 40,000 young people in nearly 130 countries want from the energy transition. Preliminary analysis found that the majority of young people want the world to achieve net zero before 2050, and believe that government willpower as well as private sector’s commitment are crucial pieces to enable this to happen.

Student Energy and Enel Foundation will work together to strengthen the theoretical know-how and enhance the soft skills of the participants of the Career Training program, as well as to consolidate the results and maximise the outreach the GYEO towards international institutions and private companies. 

About Enel Foundation:

Knowledge platform for a clean energy future. 

We focus on the crucial role of clean energy to ensure a sustainable future for all. 

By envisioning a sustainable future – resilient and equal – boosted by quality education and an enlightened self-interest by the business community. The future we want is powered by affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern electricity, smartly distributed to all. 

We focus on research and education. 

By developing partnerships with pre-eminent experts and institutions across the globe, leveraging on the vast knowledge of our founders. We conduct research to explore the implications of global challenges in the energy domain, develop scenario analysis, define policy and regulation opportunities and promote education programs for qualified stakeholders in the scientific and institutional realms. 

We operate at the intersection of business and society. 

By engaging institutions and governmental bodies, thought leaders and civil society representatives, industry experts and academia. We are a non-profit organization seeking to converge with likeminded actors determined to solve global challenges ensuring a sustainable future for all. 

About Student Energy:

Student Energy is the world’s largest youth-led organization empowering young people to accelerate the sustainable energy transition. Since 2009,  Student Energy has worked with thousands of  youth from over 120 countries, to build the knowledge, skills, and networks they need to take action on energy. Student Energy operates on a unique youth empowerment model, which means that initiatives are co-created with youth, for youth.

Student Energy has built coalitions with over 100 diverse partners, such as the UN, Indigenous Clean Energy, Sustainable Energy for All, HSBC Global, the Stockholm Environment Institute, DNV, WSP, and national governments like Canada, Denmark, and Sweden. Student Energy has stewarded CAD$10 million+ in funding to date, supported the development of over 280 youth energy projects, held 6 international Student Energy Summits, and attracted over 13 million people to its digital energy education platforms.

Media Contact:
Shakti Ramkumar, Director of Communications and Policy, Student Energy
shakti@studentenergy.org
+1 (604) 445 4306