Launch of five year partnership

In 2020, Selby College and Drax launched a five-year partnership which is designed to help the College to deliver community education programmes, as well as support for retraining, to ensure students are developing the skills needed in innovative clean technologies which will help to drive a zero carbon economy.

The partnership also enabled the College to invest in ICT equipment to support remote learning, as well as state-of-the-art engineering equipment and a series of events on green energy.

“This is a perfect partnership, Drax at the forefront of developing and introducing new technologies for zero carbon energy generation and Selby College at the forefront of providing students with the knowledge and skills on which to build a successful career. I know both organisations very well and supported Drax in the conversion to green energy generation and must thank Selby College for their long-standing commitment to local employment including apprenticeship training and hosting my Jobs Fairs. This partnership will open up new opportunities for local people and enable them to develop the skills needed for our future. They will both continue to have my full support.”

In 2021, Selby College and Drax further enhanced its partnership with a brand-new training programme in Carbon Capture and Storage technologies.

After securing funding from the Department for Education’s Strategic Development Fund, Selby College worked with Drax to develop the programme, which will enable the Drax's employees to develop the skills needed to operate the vital climate saving technologies of the future.

The course is currently underway, providing both current and future Drax employees with the vital skills needed to operate critical negative emissions technology, ensuring the region is at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

This is the UK’s first educational programme in carbon capture and is available to other organisations and individuals interested in developing their knowledge and understanding about carbon capture and storage. The course is being designed as an introduction to the subject, with the aim of adding more modules and units over time.

“It’s critical businesses like Drax have access to a skilled workforce, with the knowledge and expertise to operate negative emissions technologies that will be vital in enabling the UK to reach its legally binding net zero targets. Through our partnership with Selby College, we are able to futureproof our workforce, ensuring we are at the forefront of the green industrial revolution, creating and protecting thousands of jobs here in the North. Deploying BECCS at Drax will not only deliver for the environment, but it will also deliver for the economy. It could kickstart a whole new sector of the economy and be the catalyst for a post-covid economic recovery.”

We are delighted to have a strong and longstanding partnership with the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, enabling us to work effectively with schools and the Group’s colleges. By involving Drax in the shaping of its curriculum, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group is helping to address our skills needs and business goals through the development and delivery of innovative training programmes, including in vital technologies such as Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage. This not only ensures that we are able to futureproof our workforce but means we can position ourselves at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.