Working in partnership with the University of York to strengthen our environmental work

Our region is set to become one of the UK’s first net zero industrial clusters. This is expected to create up to 300 new green jobs in the local area. Yet research from the Prince’s Trust shows that young people in the North East have the poorest understanding of net zero in the country. For us, that’s a genuine concern. We have this wave of opportunity heading our way, but we risk leaving young people behind if we don’t prepare them to take part. 

That’s why we’ve made green employment one of the key priorities under our Take Control programme, which aims to support young people into STEM and sustainability careers. Sammie Bradley, our Environmental Advisor, alongside Elle Taylor from our Learning and Development team, asked a simple question: What can we do right now to help? The answer began with a new partnership. 

We reached out to the University of York and began working with students on a live project through their Sustainability Clinic elective module. Our first task for them was to explore the most effective ways to increase biodiversity across our green spaces – not just from an ecological standpoint but with real-world challenges in mind. These students were asked to consider issues such as low incomes, crime levels, and local population structure and then recommend the most realistic and impactful approaches we could adopt. 

They explored three areas in Middlesbrough – Pallister Park, Dyke House, and Hemlington- and came back with carefully considered and achievable, evidence-based suggestions. These included: 

• Wildflower-rich landscaping to attract pollinators 
• Edible gardens to support community growing 
• Green roofs on garage blocks and bus shelters 

Their final presentation was delivered to 18 members of staff, including our chief executive, senior leaders, and environmental champions. They’d visited our sites, joined our business updates, and really immersed themselves in our world. Their work confirmed that we’re heading in the right direction – and gave us a fresh push to go further. In fact, one of their ideas is now being developed into a feasibility study: exploring green roofs for TRC garage sites, which could become valuable habitats for pollinators travelling through Billingham. 

But the impact didn’t stop there. Two of the students chose to take their project a step further. They wrote a paper on their work with us and presented it at a national research conference in Leeds. Their efforts were recognised with a Student Community and Volunteering for the Environment Award. It’s a great example of how real-life opportunities can ignite passion, build confidence, and significantly boost young people’s career prospects. 

Building on this success, we’re now hosting three more students, each undertaking a dissertation with us as part of their degree. Over an eight-week placement, they get a full experience of working in a large organisation, including access to meetings and exposure to business priorities – all while producing original research that brings real value to Thirteen. 

• One student is using advanced satellite mapping to help us access data we could never obtain on our own. 
• We have two students who are analysing vegetation cover, looking at how this changes in relation to footfall across urban green spaces and exploring the impact green spaces can have to reduce the urban heat island effect. 

Each of these projects directly contributes to our goals, providing us with knowledge, insight, and evidence that supports our environmental work without incurring the costs of external consultancy. 

For the students, it’s much more than a placement. It’s a chance to build their CV, gain professional references, and begin to understand what a career in sustainability could look like. It helps them develop the workplace skills they’ll need to succeed in a rapidly growing sector.  

We’re proud of what this partnership has achieved so far. It’s helping us deliver on our environmental goals while also supporting young people in taking control of their futures.