Lisa Pool speaks to Amelia Woodley FIEMA, an IEMA corporate partner, on collaborating to create a green skills agenda
In the third instalment in our series, I spoke to Amelia Woodley, ESG director at Speedy Services, who has worked hard to strategise her company’s green skills development. She revealed how the company has used its IEMA corporate partnership and reports such as A Blueprint for a Green Workforce Transformation to integrate sustainability throughout the organisation.
Amelia joined the company two years ago to lead the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda. She explains the company’s comprehensive strategy to develop green skills and its innovative approach to fostering sustainability within the workforce.
The logic and magic phases
The initial phase, or the ‘logic phase’, involved research and green skills development for the people making the decisions. Senior leaders within the company were educated in sustainability concepts to become well-versed in topics such as scope 3 emissions. Recognising the importance of developing green skills across the organisation, the next step was to drive meaningful change.
Transitioning into the ‘magic phase’, Speedy Services focused on engaging employees in the ESG narrative. Amelia emphasised the need to involve the entire workforce in order to implement its strategies effectively. Representatives from different business functions were selected as ESG business partners. They were given specialist training tailored to their roles, including sessions on climate change, modern slavery and biodiversity.
Upskilling employees and empowering them to address sustainability challenges within their teams was a significant aspect. By embedding green skills throughout the workforce, the ESG business partners acted as intermediaries between the core ESG team and the broader organisation. They facilitated knowledge-sharing, identified areas for improvement and collaborated with technical experts to drive change.
Career transitions
The company also recognised the untapped potential of career flippers – people in their 40s and 50s seeking purposeful career transitions. By offering them opportunities to switch to green roles, the company capitalised on their existing skills and provided training in sustainability. This approach ensured a diverse skill base and increased capacity to address future sustainability challenges.
Amelia’s equation of ‘logic’ and ‘magic’ – combining strategy development with employee engagement – proved instrumental in the company’s green skills journey. Its commitment to investing in both young people and career flippers demonstrated its dedication to building a sustainable workforce for the future.
Amelia also spoke about Speedy Services’ corporate partnership with IEMA and how it helps her stay informed about changes in the sustainability community. Her vision is to have all employees mapped to IEMA’s framework and she is working closely with our team to realise this. Publications like A Blueprint for a Green Workforce Transformation influenced individuals within her organisation to take green skills seriously.
Valuable support
Speedy Services’ approach to developing green skills is not only forward-thinking, it is essential in achieving its ESG goals. By empowering employees and creating a culture of sustainability, the company is well-positioned to navigate the challenges of the evolving business landscape while driving positive environmental and social impact. Working with IEMA has given the company the support and information needed to achieve this.
With more than 300 IEMA corporate partners, and over 600 downloads of the report, we know that IEMA’s outputs are producing impact through the individuals who engage with services and published content
to drive change. Our impact will always be down to our members and partners, and we look forward to seeing how the green skills agenda continues.
Lisa Pool AIEMA is IEMA’s head of marketing. Amelia Woodley FIEMA (pictured below) is ESG director at Speedy Services
