From a Model Car to Future Careers: developing hydrogen skills in Orkney
A model hydrogen-powered car helped bring conversations about future skills and careers to life at a recent careers fair in Kirkwall. At the TalEntEd Islands stand, visitors could explore how hydrogen technology connects with education, training and the changing needs of island industries.
A model hydrogen-powered car helped bring conversations about future skills and careers to life at a recent careers fair in Kirkwall. At the TalEntEd Islands stand, visitors could explore how hydrogen technology connects with education, training and the changing needs of island industries.
Dr Adele Lidderdale, a lecturer in UHI Orkney, and Claire Thomson, TalEntEd Programme Manager, attended the event at the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall, on Thursday 1 October organised by Developing the Young Workforce. The car provided a starting point for discussions with learners, teachers, parents and job seekers about hydrogen and its potential application.
TalEntEd is a six-year collaborative programme funded through the Islands Growth Deal with up to £4.4 million from the Scottish Government and £1.5 million from the UK Government. The programme is jointly led by the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University.
How does the car work?
The Horizon Educational Hydrocar used at the careers fair is a miniature hydrogen-powered vehicle that runs on a tabletop or floor, bringing hydrogen technology to life. A solar panel generates electricity to power electrolysis, which splits water into hydrogen and oxygen. A small quantity of hydrogen is collected and supplied to a fuel cell, where it reacts with oxygen to generate electricity. This powers a small electric motor that moves the car forwards.
Although the car moves slowly, it captured attendees’ attention. Seeing it in action made the process easier to understand, showing how hydrogen can be used to power a vehicle. The demonstration also connects with TalEntEd’s wider work: helping island communities develop the practical skills needed as technology and industry evolve.
Building practical hydrogen skills.
UHI Orkney leads the hydrogen workstream within TalEntEd’s Innovative Islands Work-Based Learning project. Drawing on expertise in maritime and aviation applications, the workstream’s initial focus is on developing technician-level learning for people working with hydrogen installations and technologies. This covers practical skills in installation, commissioning, maintenance and repair. Opportunities include integrating hydrogen training into existing qualifications and school pathways, alongside training for end users, safety awareness and specialist workplace roles.
Work is already under way. Dr Adele Lidderdale has delivered hydrogen content across four sessions to 10 senior phase pupils studying Skills for Work: Energy at National 5 (SCQF level 5). A Higher in Environmental Science is also being developed for senior phase pupils, with availability planned from 2027. Discussions with guidance teachers have highlighted strong interest in this new learning opportunity.
Creating opportunities closer to home
The wider UHI work-based learning project aims to connect education with the needs of island employers, helping people gain qualifications and develop specialist skills without having to leave their communities. Alongside hydrogen activity in Orkney, UHI Shetland is developing work around wind turbines and electrical skills for renewables. UHI North, West and Hebrides lead workstreams in sustainable development and allied health professions. Together, these strands aim to develop flexible learning that responds to local workforce needs.
For hydrogen, collaboration between island academic partners will help share expertise and develop learning across the islands. The ambition is to create routes that support both people entering an industry and those adapting skills they already use at work.
“The careers fair built on many of the themes discussed at the recent Workforce North Orkney Workforce Summit, where employers highlighted the importance of developing future skills to support economic growth and workforce sustainability. Demonstrations such as the hydrogen-powered vehicle provided an opportunity to show how education, innovation and industry needs can come together to inspire the next generation.” – Claire Thomson, TalEntEd Programme Manager
The Kirkwall careers fair offered a chance to start these conversations with the people who could become part of that future workforce. From a small model car to the practical skills needed in industry, the connection is clear: new technologies need people who understand how to use, maintain and work safely with them.
Find out more about the programme at www.uhi.ac.uk/talented, or contact talented@uhi.ac.uk