The future of Green Jobs for Nature – Increasing Skills, Capacity and Diversity
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By Brian Heppenstall, Education and Careers Manager, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) and Annie Robinson, Green Jobs for Nature Partnerships Officer (CIEEM)
Do you feel that there are enough suitably skilled candidates applying for roles in the sector?
If not, then your opinion would support the findings of a recent study carried out jointly by Lantra and CIEEM(1), which found that employers were finding that applicants were often missing key skills and competencies, for example field survey skills, species identification and an understanding of land management. Although this wouldn’t be new to many people in the sector, I managed SSSI’s up until 2021 and noticed applicant numbers gradually reducing throughout my career as a Ranger.
In 2022, CIEEM launched the Green Jobs for Nature website to provide part of the answer to these issues. The primary audience for the website and associated resources is 13- to 23-year-olds and is therefore well-placed to influence an early part of the pipeline, prior to school students making decisions as to their next steps towards a career, and it also provides valuable advice for career changers. As well as the career resources and advice a unique feature of the Green Jobs for Nature website is more than 150 job profiles from people already working in roles including rangers, environmental educators and ecologists. Each job profile details what the work involves, likes/dislikes, and advice for anyone coming into the profession. Imagine how inspiring it is to a student if they can see someone working in a role that they want to do in their future.
Green Jobs for Nature equips students with vital information to guide their career choices in the environmental sector. CIEEM recognised the importance of this support, as studies show students often struggle with these decisions(2). Understanding the nuances in educational options—like the difference between a Level 3 Diploma in Wildlife and Ecology from a land-based college and a university degree in the same field—can be critical. Which path is better for aspiring rangers or ecologists? Are there apprenticeships or paid internships available? Which routes do employers prefer? By clarifying these options, we help build a stronger, more informed conservation workforce.
Alongside increasing awareness of roles in the sector, and the variety of routes available, is an ambition to make sure that these resources are seen by the broadest audience possible. I have written articles for CJS previously to highlight the lack of diversity within the sector, the second least diverse in the UK(3). As part of Green Jobs for Nature, 8 Ambassadors have been recruited. Including Ajay Tegala; author of “The Unique Life of a Ranger”, these ambassadors represent the diverse range of people that are currently not well-represented in the sector, the aim of this is to influence and inspire a belief that a job a green job for nature can be for everyone. The Ambassadors will be helping to generate and share content with their audiences.
How does Green Jobs for Nature help?
- Raises awareness of the range of jobs within the ecology and environment sector
- Provides clarity on the variety of routes available into the sector
- Provides “Jargon Buster” advice helping students to navigate through other sector information
- Provides a bank of job profiles from real people working in the sector, who give perspectives
- Promotes and encourages equality, diversity and inclusion in the ecology and environment sector – follow the QR code to shortcut to the submit a profile page
How can you help?
- Share our new Green Jobs for Nature Quiz; aimed at the interests and abilities of young people as opposed to academic achievement, to provide them with some ideas for their ideal job in nature
- Provide a job profile for the Green Jobs for Nature website; we currently feature less job profiles for conservation roles than we do for others, i.e. ecologist. Help people to understand your role and your pathway to getting into the sector
- Follow the Green Jobs for Nature social media channels and share our content:
- Share your experiences and write a blog for the Green Jobs for Nature website – existing blogs include – ‘How I overcame self-doubt as a mature career changer’, ‘How do you become a marine scientist’, ‘I’m an Associate Ecologist- Here's what I would say to my younger self’.
- Get in touch if you have any ideas on how we can use Green Jobs for Nature to increase capacity and diversity, or you are interested in partnering with or supporting Green Jobs for Nature, please email info@greenjobsfornature.org
Footnote
1 Smith, N. & Congrave, A. 2023. Opening up vocational pathways into nature-based green job. CIEEM & Lantra Commissioned Report
2 Lewis, Z.H. (2020). Paths in education: how students make qualification choices at Level 3 and what influences these choices. wlv.openrepository.com. [online] Available at: https://wlv.openrepository.com/handle/2436/624531
3 Policy Exchange. (2017). The two sides of diversity. [Online] Available at: http://policyexchange.org.uk/publication/the-two-sides-of-diversity [Accessed 5 May 2024]
If you are looking for information about what the jobs in the sector involve then check out the job profiles on the Green Jobs for Nature website. CJS also has a job profile section.
CJS Editor, Kerryn has written one of the blog pieces on Green Jobs for Nature detailing How to chose your perfect career. Find that online here
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