Young employee Network at NatureScot

By Catherine Whatley, Reptile and Amphibian Policy and Advice Officer at NatureScot

NatureScot is Scotland’s nature agency, meaning we are the branch of the Scottish Government responsible for all aspects of the natural environment within Scotland. We deal with a wide range of topics, from licensing and legislation to renewable energy, to freshwater provisions, to research projects, to species and habitat conservation and beyond. For example, my role is that I am Scotland’s national advisor on reptiles and amphibians!

a photo of a group of smiling people sitting down being taken as a selfie by a person in front with a green tshirt on — Lunchtime at our last in person office day in Edinburgh (Eilidh Ross)

At NatureScot, approximately 10% of all of our employees are under the age of 30. As such a diverse and important group of people that carry out so many different roles across our organisation, it is vital that we are well represented in everything that NatureScot does.

That is where we come in – we are the Young Employee Panel at NatureScot, and we run the Young Employee Network to help support our younger members of staff. Our role includes a wide range of services such as gathering information on how our young employees feel about new changes to the organisation, planning events, and providing support for individuals who need it. The panel consists of five members who all rotate as chair each month to allow equal opportunities for personal development. We have a monthly panel meeting to discuss upcoming events and other important issues. We also host a monthly tea break, to which we invite all members of the YEN in the organisation. Activities at these meetings range from just a chat or a small themed activity, to external speakers (such as Countryside Jobs Service) coming to chat to us about different topics.

We also have the opportunity to work with the NatureScot Board, which is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation. We attend monthly board meetings, feeding into discussions on important topics and decision making, such as 30x30, which is the initiative to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. This is an incredible opportunity for us to help shape NatureScot, and by extension, ensure that Scotland’s landscapes and biodiversity work for everyone.

Young people are the future of Scotland’s workforce, and organisations are missing out on our valuable opinions and expertise if they do not take advantage of our voices. I would encourage all organisation leads to consider adopting similar groups to champion your young people and engage with what we have to say.

You can find out more about the work that NatureScot does on our website: https://www.nature.scot/, and you can find current vacancies here.

You can also find opportunities to volunteer with us here and opportunities for student projects here.