Green jobs are proving a major draw for pupils across Scotland with a new Skills for Work Energy Course from Banff and Buchan College generating high demand from schools including 12 girls from Turiff Academy.
Run for 160 hours over two years, the course is the first career stepping stone for pupils aged 14 to 16 who are interested in green issues and future careers in wind and solar power.
While there is a lack of women engineers entering green jobs there is hope that this might change with the first course delivered by the college proving popular with an all girl class of 12 from Turriff Academy.
Now schools from Peterhead, Fraserburgh, Ellon and Banff are expressing interest in the course which also teaches employability skills and is sponsored by oil service company Schlumberger.
Ian Barbour, Curriculum Leader in Electrical and Electronic Engineering for Banff and Buchan College, said: "There is a skills shortage in green jobs, particularly in the area of engineering, and it is important that we give them a stepping stone to the issues they are hearing about in the media so that they can begin building on this interest through their studies.
"The new Skills for Work Energy Course is proving very popular and we are looking forward to getting more schools involved."