Olivia Hill – Skills Bootcamp: Future Climate Leaders
Get to know our Skills Bootcamp: Future Climate Leaders alumna Liv
Olivia Hill is a Skills Bootcamp: Future Climate Leaders alumna and currently works as a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Lead at CJ Medical, a family-run small to medium-sized enterprise specialising in medical device distribution across the UK, Southern Ireland, and Jersey.
1. What was your favourite experience?
My favourite activities were the in-person ones, when we would get up and work as a team to run through what we had learnt in the day. For example, when we were first introduced to the Scope Analyse Vision Implement (SAVI) canvas we worked as a team to produce a presentation about reducing food waste.
2. How did you find the delivery of the course?
The online delivery was simple and felt as though you were in the same room together. It was really useful for fitting the sessions around work, as travel to and from a venue can be time-consuming. The in-person sessions were also invaluable, as they gave us the opportunity to build strong relationships.
3. What have you gained from the course?
I have gained lots of knowledge, mainly around greenwashing, greenhushing, B Corp, and how to work towards becoming one, as well as methodologies and models such as COM-B, the SAVI canvas, PMI, and OPV. These have benefited the way I work, changing how I think, and encouraged me to take into account different points of view. I now consider a wider range of environmental impacts in processes.
For example, when thinking about sea freight, I would consider ocean health and the impact that fuel has on marine life. It hadn’t previously occurred to me that air pollution is also linked to this through fuel combustion, which pollutes the air and affects coastal areas. So, the models have expanded my bandwidth, helping me unlock a more developed and holistic way of thinking.
4. What support did you receive?
Our course leaders answered all of our questions and supported us throughout. We also had access to an array of different guest speakers who were very open and forthcoming with their knowledge and advice, which everyone related to in different ways.
5. Would you recommend this course?
I would 100% recommend this course to others, it was a fun and educational opportunity that improved my confidence within the sustainability sector. I have grown as a person alongside developing my knowledge, which I am truly grateful for.
6. How did you apply the learnings from your course to your workplace?
The course was interesting because we would have weeks of learning where you might think the content wasn’t directly relatable to your role, and then suddenly you realised it was. We had Dr Andrew Seedhouse come in and talk about public transport, which doesn’t directly link to the use of sea freight, yet what he was saying still applied. As a result, each week I was constantly inspired to change my action project idea. In the end, I chose the one that I felt would make the biggest difference, but I had about nine different ideas I wanted to explore!
As a medical device distributor, our Scope 3 distribution emissions are one of the biggest factors, so my action project focused on reducing these emissions by increasing the use of sea freight instead of air freight. By the end of the course, I had a presentation ready to share with the company outlining my plan, and after discussions with the directors, we have now incorporated sea and rail freight into our shipments. So, the course has already had an impact on CJ Medical and our use of freight, and it’s happened much faster than I expected.
I know it will make a significant difference to our Scope 3 emissions, and in 2027, when I complete the 2026 carbon report, we will be able to measure the percentage reduction achieved from our use of sea freight.
About Skills Bootcamps
These Skills Bootcamps were funded by Cornwall Council through the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee, helping everyone gain skills for life.
Funded by UK Government
Net-Zero Exchange
Skills for Life Skills Bootcamp
Cornwall Opportunities
Cornwall Council