Youth and Early Career Special Interest Group

Royal Meteorological Society Student and Early Careers Conference
Youth and Early Careers Conference 2023

 

Our Purpose

The Special Interest Group (SIG) aims to sustain, encourage, and progress the Society's engagement with and provisions for youth and early careers, as well as championing them in the Society's activities. Our focus spans Society content and activities relevant to youth (16-24 years old) and early careers (up to 10 or 15 years since starting an undergraduate degree or equivalent, dependent on career path).

Our aims are to:

  • Develop content and activities to address the needs of youth and early careers working in weather and climate
  • Work with the Society committees to provide strategic direction and feedback on activities
  • Ensure that the needs of the youth and early careers are served well.

You can read more about our purpose and plans in the July 2023 Weather article: ‘Spotlight on the Youth and Early Career Special Interest Group’.

 

Who Are We?

Members of this SIG span a range of career stages, including representation of early careers from industry and academia to undergraduates to school-aged (youth) members. At present, the group is comprised of the following members, and co-chaired by Hannah Mallinson and Beth Woodhams:

 
NameAffiliation
Hannah MallinsonRMetS Science Engagement Manager
Dr Beth Woodhams (Chair)RMetS Science Engagement Officer
Regan MudharUniversity of Exeter
Ayesha TandonCarbon Brief
Bernadette McCaffreyWeatherQuest
Dr Chloe BrimicombeUniversity of Graz
Dr Daniel SkinnerClimatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia
Euan McNaughtonMoodys RMS
Dr Fran MorrisUniversity of Oxford
Dr Frederick Otu-LarbiUniversity of Lancaster
Florence Shannon-VinesUniversity of East Anglia
Hannah FindleyMet Office
Kanzis MattuUniversity of Strathclyde
Kit Marie RackleyUniversity of East Anglia Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Laura ByrneUniversity of Exeter
Dr Matthew PriestleyRMetS and University of Exeter
Ben HutchinsRMetS and University of Reading
Dr Ned WilliamsMax Planck Institute for Meteorology
Dr Simon ClarkFreelance video producer
Dr Tim BanyardUniversity of Manchester

 

What Have We Done?

In 2023, we rebranded our Early Career and Student Conference to ensure we are more inclusive of those who are not in education. We also reinvigorated our Student Ambassador scheme to ensure a strong link between the Society and University students. 

In 2024, we set a new Society-wide definition of what it means to be “early career” based on feedback from those in academia and industry. Throughout 2024, we have also participated in some exciting initiatives to uplift youth and early career voices, including:

  •  Launching Diverse Voices, an informal lunchtime webinar to celebrate diversity and showcase different perspectives from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Recordings from the four events held so far are available on the RMetS YouTube channel: Intro to the Series, Academics of Colour, Experiences of the Met Office, Celebrating Black History Month
  • Speaking on the Geography & Coffee Podcast (Ayesha, Regan) 
  • Writing and filming training videos for communicating science, available on the RMetS member dashboard
  • Creating a Careers for Climate booklet highlighting careers which can make a positive contribution towards tackling climate change
  • Holding the ‘Is a PhD for me?’ webinar for those thinking of pursuing a PhD in weather and climate. The panel discussion featured members of the SIG and the recording is now available on YouTube.  

 

What Will We Do?

We are planning a virtual careers event for Spring 2025 and a skills workshop for the 2025 Early Career and Student Conference. We are also reinvigorating the RMetS careers webpages over the next year. In addition, the SIG is providing feedback for the Society’s Early Career peer review training initiative which will be launched in 2025. 

 

If you would like to collaborate, or just keep up to date with what this SIG is up to, please email youthandearlycareers@rmets.org.