Leila Ashton

We enjoyed catching up with former student, Leila Ashton this week at Wigan Council’s Believe in Your Future HE Fair.  Leila was there representing her employer FGP Chartered Surveyors.

Leila, a former Standish High School pupil, studied Geography, Criminology and Psychology at Winstanley where she was inspired by her Geography teacher to progress to a career in sustainability and Green Energy.

Deciding to go down the apprenticeship route, Leila looked for employers that support women into green careers.  During the search Leila discovered Knutsford-based employer FGP and was attracted by their sponsored degrees and company ethos.

Leila was successful in gaining an apprenticeship with FGP in rural surveying, with sponsored degree at Harper Adams University. 

The biggest challenge Leila said she can see in the future of sustainability, and achieving the goal of net zero by 2050, is the availability of land for solar farms.

Leila’s advice to current students is: ‘explore every opportunity, attend careers fairs and gain work experience where you can and if you really enjoy a subject in college, seek out careers that link to your passion.’