Building a Greener Future: Waltham Forest College Ignites Green Careers at Build Tomorrow Summit

Students and industry collaborate for a pioneering youth summit on Sustainable Construction.

Waltham Forest College proudly hosted the Build Tomorrow: Construction, Sustainability and Innovators Youth Summit on Wednesday 30th April 2025, welcoming hundreds of students, educators, and industry leaders from across the UK. The event served as a powerful platform to ignite conversation and innovation around sustainable construction practices, green technologies and future skills for young people.

The summit was generously sponsored by U-Build, an innovative design company specialising in customisable modular buildings – from garden studios and offices to meeting pods. Their support helped create a space where education and industry came together to inspire a new generation of climate-conscious creators.

Held at the College campus, the summit underscored Waltham Forest College’s commitment to promoting green skills, working with employers to drive economic growth in this key sector and supporting students with aspirational career opportunities.   

Attendees engaged with a dynamic line-up of industry experts during panel discussions that tackled critical themes in sustainability, including Chloe Donovan, Managing Director of Natural Building Systems; Ellora Coupe, Founder of Her Retrofit Space (CIC); and Saul Humphrey, Managing Partner at Saul D Humphrey LLP and Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB).

Complementing the panel discussions were live demonstrations led by Adam White of Intelligent Membranes, showcasing the latest in airtightness testing, energy-efficient heating systems, and cutting-edge retrofitting techniques, including Passive House principles and green technologies.

The summit also featured an interactive exhibition space, bringing together top construction firms, sustainability-focused organisations, and innovators – providing students with a unique opportunity to explore real-world applications and career pathways in the green economy.

Principal & CEO Janet Gardner commented:

“Build Tomorrow provided an innovative opportunity to showcase the latest developments in green skills and technologies and highlight a diverse range of aspirational careers for young people. We are privileged to be working with such dynamic and esteemed employers who are investing in the future workforce providing opportunities for young people to gain the skills industry needs. A particular thank you to U-Build for sponsoring this incredible event.

Waltham Forest College is at the forefront of delivering the skills needed by employers to drive the economy. It creates opportunities for aspirational careers in green technologies by embedding eco-conscious thinking across its curriculum, campus operations, and partnerships. By bringing together education and industry under one roof, the summit laid important groundwork for ongoing collaboration and opportunities for our students in the fast-growing priority sector.