Chester Green Expo Youth Conference

Fri. 6th November 2026 10-4pm.

The Green Expo Youth Conference held during Green Careers Week (first week of November) is based on discussion, debate and collective problem-solving. We want young people from across the region to see their place in a sustainable, Net Zero future. Students from secondary schools, colleges and further education, typically Year 9 and above, are invited to design the futures they want to see for the region, including the roles they want to and could play through future career choices involving but not limited to STEM subjects.

THE PROGRAMME

Focus for the morning is workshops on how everyone can, and how green roles do, tackle the climate and nature emergencies and the decarbonisation challenge. Education materials have been developed and tested by ChesterCAN (Chester Climate Action Network), Chester Zoo and the University of Chester.

Over lunch we see how our learning relates to the decisions being made at COP31. There will be sessions on careers in the early afternoon with Q&A panel speakers; experts and those just starting our in their careers.

Then a careers fair where students can speak to 10-20 local, selected employers and learn about green skills and jobs. Attending organisations are selected based on their relevance and to provide a broad breadth of career options.

​DETAILS

The event is FREE to attend* and is on the outskirts of Chester (postcode CH3 7PT) with plenty of free parking. Depending on sponsorship, assistance may be given with attendance transport costs.

Please bring your own lunch.

Places are unlimited for UK based schools, colleges and home schooled students. All students need to be supervised in a suitable ratio.

To book, teachers should complete the form below with Teacher name, role, email and place of education, roughly how many students attending and of which year group.

* Schools and colleges will be invoiced £250 per booking, refunded on attendance by the school or college a few days after the event.

ORGANISATIONS INVOLVED

This year the event is benefitting from a partnership with West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, and the further involvement of Chester Zoo, YouthFed, The Pledge and Enterprise Cheshire + Warrington. We are still looking for 5 suitable sponsors and 15 more organisations that want to attend the Careers Fair.

Previous sponsors of the event have been EA Technology, EET Hydrogen, Encirc, MCC Digital, NatWest, Peel NRE, SP Energy and Storengy.

Previous, additional Careers Fair attendees and supporters; Cheshire College South & West, Chester Zoo, EET Hydrogen, Enterprise Cheshire & Warrington, Land Studio UK, RSK Group, The Pledge, University of Chester

BACKGROUND

The requirement for green skills in the North West and Wales is expected to double from 20,000 to 40,000 over the next 4 years. Green vacancies worldwide grew almost twice as fast as the share of people possessing green skills in 2025. Over 60,500 new jobs* will be created in the North West by 2050 to help the UK achieve Net Zero.  This shift will help sustain 660,000 jobs# in the Net Zero economy, the largest number of all the UK regions*.  These jobs need applicants with the knowledge and skills to be able to collaborate across a range of backgrounds – from STEM subjects to the arts, humanities and social sciences – drawing on a shared commitment to creating a more sustainable future. The Green Expo Youth Conference helps inspire, empower and enable young people who want to play a key part in that transition.

(STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).