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New Possible’s British Training Awards sets out to discover and celebrate the organisations that are truly passionate about L&Ds role in building a thriving workforce.
In our latest ‘Sharing Success’ series, we interview British Training Awards Winners to shine a light on the inspiring initiatives that are improving workplaces across the UK and beyond. In this article we chat with Madeleine Thorn from Cambridge Advance Online, part of the University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education who in partnership with Localized were awarded ‘Early Careers Initiative of the Year’.
Introducing Madeleine Thorn
Madeleine is the Head of Learning Design at Cambridge Advance Online. Her team design and develop high-quality online learning experiences that help learners build practical, career-relevant skills. They work closely with academic experts, learning designers, employers and partners to create programmes that combine academic rigour with real-world application.
Madeleine highlighted: “One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is helping to develop learning opportunities that expand access to education and employment pathways for underrepresented groups. The ESG Analysis and Carbon Accounting programme is a great example of how online education can support both skills development and social impact.”
About University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education and Localized:
University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education designs high-impact, multi-disciplinary learning, based on world-class research, leading academic expertise, and up-to-date industry insights. They offer one of the world’s largest portfolios of online executive education, alongside scalable and customisable programmes, and Cambridge campus experiences that address the most pressing needs and sought-after skills for leaders and workforces today.
Localized is a social enterprise that helps the next generation of talent access Davos-level industry experts, top-tier training, and global employers. They are focused on breaking down barriers that keep people from landing great jobs - from anywhere.
Building the Next Generation of ESG Leaders
In partnership with Localized, University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education launched the Certificate in ESG Analysis and Carbon Accounting in November 2024. This fully funded, eight-week online programme was designed to address a growing global need for skilled Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) professionals, while creating meaningful career opportunities for young women in Africa and the Middle East.
The programme focused on recent female graduates from Kenya, South Africa and Egypt - combining employability, sustainability, and social impact objectives in a single initiative. By equipping participants with expertise in greenhouse gas accounting and emerging ESG regulations, the course aimed to prepare the next generation of professionals who will help organisations meet increasingly complex sustainability reporting requirements.
When asked what inspired the University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education and Localized to create a programme focused on ESG Analysis and Carbon Accounting for young women across Africa and the Middle East, Madeleine explained:
“The programme was inspired by two trends happening simultaneously. On one hand, there is rapidly growing global demand for green skills as organisations respond to sustainability commitments, climate reporting requirements and evolving ESG regulations. On the other hand, there is an enormous pool of talented young people across Africa in regions of high unemployment.
Together with Localized, we saw an opportunity to connect these trends by creating a programme that would equip young people with practical skills in ESG and carbon analysis while helping them access future-facing careers. We wanted to ensure that learners gained not only technical knowledge but also an understanding of how sustainability is shaping business decisions across industries.“
Addressing Skills Gaps and Employment Challenges
The course was developed to tackle several interconnected challenges, including high youth unemployment rates, the growing demand for ESG expertise, and the need for organisations to comply with evolving sustainability frameworks and regulations. The initiative also sought to support economic transition by helping participants develop skills for emerging green jobs and reduce reliance on international consultants by building local sustainability expertise.
Funded by the Mastercard Foundation, the programme was offered entirely online and free of charge, ensuring accessibility for learners who may otherwise have limited opportunities to access world-class education. Demand far exceeded expectations, with over 1,000 applications received for just 110 places, demonstrating significant interest in ESG and sustainability careers.
When asked why it was important to make the course entirely online and free of charge, Madeleine highlighted:
“Accessibility was central to the programme's design. By offering the course online and free of charge, we were able to remove many of the barriers that typically prevent talented individuals from accessing Cambridge-quality professional education, including geography, cost and limited local training opportunities. Making the programme free ensured that participation was based on potential and motivation rather than financial circumstances.”
With more than 1,000 applications received for just 110 places, we asked Madeleine what this level of demand reveals about the appetite for sustainability-focused careers among emerging talent. She commented:
“The demand demonstrated that young people are highly aware of the opportunities emerging in sustainability-related fields and are actively seeking ways to enter them. We observed a strong desire among learners to develop skills that are both socially meaningful and professionally valuable. Participants recognised that sustainability is increasingly becoming part of mainstream business practice and that skills such as ESG analysis and carbon accounting can open doors across multiple sectors. The enthusiasm we saw reinforced our belief that green skills will be an important component of future employability.”
The eight-week programme combined academic rigour with practical application, providing learners with real-world insights into ESG analysis, carbon accounting, sustainability reporting, and emerging regulatory frameworks. Participants praised the course’s engaging structure, strong tutor support, and focus on practical learning.
The results were exceptional:
- 80% of participants successfully completed the course, earning a University of Cambridge certificate.
- 100% of learners rated their experience as either “good” or “excellent.”
- 90% of participants felt the course project met their expectations.
- 92% reported gaining practical skills that could contribute to driving sustainable change within organisations.
One participant described it as: “The best online course I have ever taken.”
Beyond learning outcomes, the programme was designed to improve employability and support career progression. Through extensive employer engagement, the Localized team worked with more than 240 employers and contacted over 22,000 organisations to promote the availability of trained ESG talent.
The impact has been significant: 78% of participants secured jobs, promotions, scholarships, or final-stage interviews within eight months of completing the programme.
This demonstrates the programme’s success in bridging the gap between education and employment while helping organisations access emerging sustainability talent.
Scaling impact across Africa
Following the success of the inaugural cohort, the programme has expanded significantly. As of February 2026, the certificate is being delivered again, this time to 500 learners across six additional African countries, further extending its reach and impact.
By combining world-class education, accessibility, employability support, and a strong sustainability focus, University of Cambridge Executive and Professional Education and Localized have created an initiative that is helping build the next generation of ESG professionals while opening new career opportunities for young women across Africa and the Middle East. The programme demonstrates how targeted skills development can create meaningful social, economic, and environmental impact at scale.
When also asked how the partnership with Localized helped to develop and deliver this initiative, Madeleine commented:
“The partnership was fundamental to the programme's success. Cambridge brought expertise in online learning design, development and sustainability education, while Localized contributed deep regional knowledge, learner engagement expertise, employer networks and career support services.
This complementary relationship enabled us to design a programme that was academically robust while remaining highly relevant to the needs of learners and employers. Localized also played a key role in mentoring, career guidance and connecting participants with employment opportunities after the programme, ensuring that learning could translate into real-world outcomes. We look forward to continue to work together to bring this programme to a wider audience.”
What advice would Madeleine give to organisations looking to create early careers programmes that deliver both social impact and meaningful employment outcomes?
- "Start with a genuine understanding of employer demand. Programmes are most impactful when they prepare learners for skills that organisations are actively seeking."
- "Design learning with employability in mind. Technical knowledge is important, but learners also benefit from exposure to industry experts, career coaching, mentoring and opportunities to build professional confidence."
- "Build in support mechanisms for learners. Our dedicated team worked tirelessly to help individuals overcome a variety of challenges to complete the course. This needs 1:1 time and flexibility."
- "Measure success beyond completion rates. The real impact of an early careers programme is reflected in the opportunities it creates for learners, whether that is employment, career progression, further study or increased confidence to pursue ambitious goals."
Madeleine added: "Ultimately, programmes that combine high-quality learning with strong employer engagement and a clear focus on accessibility are the ones most likely to deliver lasting impact.”
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