Groundwork has launched a new £2million programme to create 70 paid placements for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the natural heritage sector, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee year.
New to Nature – funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund – will see young people aged 18-25 given new, full-time, temporary jobs in nature and landscape organisations across the UK, increasing diversity and representation.
The programme is being delivered by Groundwork UK in partnership with The Prince’s Trust, Disability Rights UK, Mission Diverse and Youth Environmental Service and will target those who may not have considered a career in natural heritage and may need extra support to find work.
The programme, which will run until May 2024, will provide high quality and potentially life-changing experiences for marginalised young people struggling to enter the labour market, at the same time supporting the landscape and nature sector to be more inclusive and diverse. It will also build a UK-wide network of Jubilee Trainees to champion greater diversity and youth voice within the sector, encouraging longer-term change.
The funding is the second tranche of a £7m investment in nature by the Heritage Fund, as part of The National Lottery’s £22million investment to mark the Jubilee.
Graham Duxbury, Chief Executive of Groundwork UK, says: “Delivering our ambitions for nature recovery and net zero will mean investing in new skills and capacity in the environmental sector. However, many young people don’t see the sector as their first-choice career option, either because the jobs needed are not visible to them or they feel excluded. We’re proud to be working in partnership with the National Lottery Heritage Fund and our other partners on New to Nature, as we know that offering supported paid placements to young people can be a hugely effective way of widening access to opportunities and providing a stepping stone into permanent roles.”
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Posted On: 22/07/2022