HOW SHA. HELPED INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREEN SECTOR HEROES
When a young person feels anxious about the future of our planet, they need more than just facts – they need hope, and they need to see a path forward where they can make a real difference.
That’s exactly what we set out to create for Education Partnership North East (EPNE).
EPNE represents a powerful collaboration between three exceptional institutions: Sunderland College, Hartlepool Sixth Form, and Northumberland College. As one of the largest college groups in the country, they operate campuses across the entire North East region, stretching from Berwick-upon-Tweed down to the Tees Valley.
Their ambitions match their achievements. They’re not simply educating young people for today’s jobs; they’re preparing them for the industries that will define tomorrow.
The Challenge: Turning Anxiety into Action
The brief was clear: create content that would raise awareness of career opportunities in two critical growth sectors.
But as we began our research, we uncovered something that demanded a fundamental shift in how we approached this project.
The statistics were sobering:
- Nearly 60% of young people said they felt very worried or extremely worried about climate change
- More than 45% reported that these feelings affected their daily lives
- Three-quarters said they found the future frightening
Our Approach: From Fear to Empowerment
At SHA., we knew we had to handle this carefully. Yes, we needed to present the facts about climate change. But not in a way that would deepen that anxiety or leave young people feeling helpless.
This video needed to inspire hope.
Our strategy was to reframe the conversation entirely. Instead of dwelling on the problem, we would show young people that they could become part of the solution. We would outline the real, tangible opportunities available to them in the green sector—opportunities to tackle climate change head-on through meaningful careers.
This wasn’t going to be a lecture. This was a rallying call. A call to arms to work in the green sector and SHA.pe the future.
The Solution: Animated Inspiration
We created a modern animated video designed to engage, energise, and inspire. The animation style was deliberately chosen to be fun and accessible—we wanted to meet young people where they are, not talk down to them.
The best way to understand what we created is to see it for yourself.
SHA. is a strategic advertising agency, creating brand strategy, advertising, design for print and content for web and social. If you want to know more, get in touch with nigelh@sha-agency.com or visit our contacts page.
The opinions in this article are that of the author alone and in no way, reflect the opinions or viewpoint of the agency. Unless of course we happen to agree with those opinions completely, in which case they might, but otherwise they don’t.
