In late June Viridor welcomed nine school students from the nearby Bicester School to the Ardley Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) to participate in the Facility’s first Work Experience Week offering students the chance to gain invaluable employability skills along with showcasing the real world applications and the reasons for studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects at school.
Every day waste from across Oxfordshire is delivered to the Energy Recovery Facility at Ardley. Viridor takes unwanted material that has been thrown away and transforms it into enough renewable energy to power around 38,000 homes. With the development of state-of-the-art Energy Recovery Facility and other engineering projects in the region it is essential that Oxfordshire develops a strong pipeline of talent to deliver the skilled teams its needs today and in the future.
Denise Catley, Education Business Partner for Viridor said of the week: “Being able to offer young people in Oxfordshire the opportunity to experience working life at the ERF is fantastic, not only does it enable us to show the students what we do at the ERF, how we manage the waste they put in their bins, into keeping the lights on at night. The week also equips them with skills and knowledge that will help them make decisions on their career paths and in doing so, hopefully develop a talent pipeline for the resource sector by showcasing highly-skilled jobs here in Oxfordshire.”
In addition to working with The Bicester School throughout the academic year, the ERF officially welcomed its 4000th visitor since the plant opened was opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester in 2014 and scout troops, community groups and university students have all followed in his footsteps, interacting with the educational exhibits and seeing first-hand how unwanted waste is converted into energy.
If you would like to find out more about Ardley ERF, or to register interest in a visit to the facility, please visit https://viridor.co.uk/our-operations/energy/energy-recovery-facilities/ardley-erf/visitor-centre/.
