Unlocking “Welsh people's voices and views” for career pathways into Environmental Science
15 October 2026
A new project is tackling diversity barriers for young people across Walesto promote career pathways into environmental science.
A Cardiff University-led team will create educational resources for primary school children to help increase the uptake of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects for further study which lead into environmental careers.
The project, funded by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), aims to empower students, educators and the public by increasing awareness of environmental science, engineering, and STEM careers to benefit everyone in Wales.
It is important that we try to remove the barriers to those individuals in Wales who want to learn about the natural environment, science and technology, so that one day they can carry out the science that protects our world from challenges such as climate change.
Project lead Dr Phillip Lugg-Widger, a lecturer in the School of Engineering at Cardiff University, said: “Welsh people's voices and views add to the diversity of the UK science community and can help solve these grand challenges. They bring with them unique cultural and historical understandings of Wales that could help protect its unique landscapes, animal species and nature with approaches that can be used elsewhere in the UK and beyond.”
“Welsh insights have been fundamental in shaping science, technology and past inventions, so it is crucial that their involvement continues for future generations.”
The project, ‘Opening Up the Environment 2026: Breaking Barriers in Wales Education for Diversity of Environmental Communities’, will:
- co-create and pilot bilingual educational learning projects for primary schools for the new Welsh curriculum that are culturally and geographically rooted in Wales
- provide opportunities for continued professional development for teachers in Wales to increase confidence in teaching environmental science targeting geographically isolated and low socio-economic areas
- engage the public in environmental science discussion in cross discipline arts workshops and events across Wales
- create an expanded set of careers related learning resources including environmental science related ‘like-me’ videos
- create best practice and training guidelines for increasing Welsh diversity in environmental science
Taking science outside the classroom
“We are especially looking forward to working with primary school teachers to co-create and pilot environmental science projects that are developed with a Wales first approach,” explains Dr Lugg-Widger.
“This will help enable the new curriculum for Wales by incorporating many of the core science and maths topics into engaging lessons.”
Our environmental projects will take science outside of the classroom and provide Welsh children with an interactive and engaging experience of how they can use science, maths and Welsh culture to protect the natural environment around them, while also promoting their wellbeing.
The project builds on a pilot study, which ran between July 2025 and July 2026, and established a cross-disciplinary Environmental Science Wales platform.
This network drew on expertise from Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, UWE and Swansea universities, together with the NERC research centres, National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, British Antarctic Survey, British Geological Survey, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, and National Oceanography Centre.
The multi-institution team carried out national surveys for 7-18-year-olds and university students, with further focus groups for 10 -14-year-olds, to identify and study the barriers for underrepresented Welsh groups to enter environmental science careers.
The project determined key entry points along the educational pathway to develop pilot engagement initiatives and trialled positive activities in a variety of settings.
A Welsh science ‘champions’ network was established and bilingual ‘like-me’ videos showcased career opportunities to young people.
“I think it was like really surprising how cool it looks and how fun it is,” one young person said of the pilot.
Another commented: “I think it looks quite exciting to see all the different animals and the ice and glaciers and stuff.”
As part of the new project, the ‘like-me’ videos will be developed as an educational resource and made available to teachers, alongside further environmental engagement activities, including online ‘meet the scientist’ webinars and participation at Welsh language festivals and public engagement events.
‘Opening Up the Environment 2026: Breaking Barriers in Wales Education for Diversity of Environmental Communities’ has been funded £732,000 by UKRI NERC over the next two years until the end of 2028.
Videography by Huw James (Science StoryLab) and illustration by Perizat Karzhau and Ian Cooke-Tapia (Cooked Illustration).
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