Role description -A Wilder Career Choice Trainee

This placement is ideal for someone who is looking for a career in conservation and/or community development work, as it will provide the skills and experience that are essential to be successful in obtaining employment within this highly competitive sector. All the Trust’s work is helping to deliver a Living Landscape –the name given to our approach to restoring and reconnecting large areas of habitat to allow wildlife to adapt to climate change and other environmental challenges. You will be a key member of the team in assisting with the management of reserves and identifying opportunities to reconnect them with each other and the people around them.

Objective of the traineeship

To gain hands-on work based experience in managing and monitoring the natural environment and inspiring people to take action for wildlife; To complete the City & Guilds approved Certificate in Work Based Environmental Conservation

Key tasks**

  • Assisting in planning and implementing the management of the Trust’s nature reserves
  • Assisting with monitoring and surveying of sites and species
  • The delivery of community based environmental projects of varying complexities including practical, social and desk-top work
  • Engaging and inspiring children and adults about their natural environment
  • Working in identified communities to develop partnership projects primarily through volunteer activity.

** These may change depending on the placement Trust – please see additional information

Key responsibilities

  • Active involvement in the management of nature reserves and community spaces, to the required standard of work, efficiency and quality expected by the Placement Provider
  • Completion of the objectives and tasks as specified in your Individual Training Plan to be agreed with your Supervisor
  • Registration and commitment to completing the City & Guilds approved Certificate in Work Based Environmental Conservation.
  • Be accountable for your own development by undertaking and completing the project’s reviewing and reporting procedures

Core requirements

This placement does not require any particular qualifications or experience.However, you must be passionate about making nature conservation your career and have demonstrated your commitment through volunteering or other means.

The placement will involve considerable amounts of travel and therefore a valid driving licence is essential.

Knowledge

  • Knowledge and interest in current environmental issues

Skills

  • Proven ability to work outside, in a variety of weather conditions
  • The ability to work with a range of people from different age groups and backgrounds
  • Adaptable and flexible, with proven qualities as a strong team player, able to work closely with others, and ability to work on one’s own initiative
  • Willingness to supervise and lead others
  • Written communication skills
  • To be computer literate

Experience

  • Proven ability to absorb and apply new information
  • Proven ability to take responsibility for professional development

Motivation

  • A genuine desire to work in wildlife conservation
  • A desire to inspire people about the wonders of the natural world and to encourage them to take action for wildlife

Practical arrangements

Training Allowance: / £9000 per annum to cover the cost of accommodation, living expenses and travel to and from your place or work
Hours: / 35 hours a week over a seven day period. The nature of the post’s duties may from time-to-time require evening and weekend work. Paid overtime is not available, but time off in lieu will be given for any additional hours spent on the placement in a week.
Probationary period: / All appointments are subject to the satisfactory completion of a probationary service of one month.
Contract / One Year
Holidays: / A full-time trainee has 25 working days per annum in addition to normal public holidays.
Notice Period: / The period of notice for termination of your placement will be one week on either side.
Place of Work: / The post will be based at: TBC dependent on placement Trust
Travel: / Travel across the region will be required. Where applicable, the use of your own vehicle may be necessary and you will be required to have insurance to cover business use and a mileage allowance of 45p per mile will be payable for such journeys. If you are required to use public transport fares will be reimbursed.
Training: / The Trust is fully committed to personal development and training and each trainee will be allocated a £1500 training budget
Closing date: / Midday (12.00pm) onThursday 15th December2016
Interviews: / Monday 23rd/Tuesday 24thJanuary 2017
Start Date: / Monday 27thFebruary2017

Individual Trusts’ Role Descriptions

Shropshire Wildlife Trust

People and Wildlife Trainee

One trainee will join the People and Wildlife Team based at Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s headquarters and visitor centre in Shrewsbury. This role will deliver the Trust’s environmental education programmes and support the people engagement work of the Trust at our two visitor centres and on key nature reserves. This will include working with schools, running John Muir Award schemes, delivering a broad range of face to face engagement activities with the public, developing interpretation, running family events and children’s parties. There will be opportunities to develop essential skills such as planning, delivering and evaluating engagement activity, project management and co-ordinating volunteers.

Conservation Trainee

The second trainee will join the Reserves Team based at the Trust’s Old Coleham Estate Yard, just over the road from the headquarters and visitor centre in Shrewsbury. This role will support the work of the Conservation Team, and involve practical work on Trust reserves including preparing and assisting with work parties and leading groups of volunteers. The role will also involve monitoring the condition of reserves and rivers. There will be opportunities to get involved in a wide range of Trust events and activities on reserves as well as experience essential skills such as production of management plans, site and species survey work, mapping and GIS.

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust

Southern Heathland Reserves Trainee

We are looking for a trainee warden to assist in our management of our flagship southern heathland reserves Highgate Common and Gentleshaw Common. Based at Highgate Common, the trainee will be part of a small time assisting in the day-to-day management of the reserves. The trainee will gain experience across the full range of skills required in running a large and busy nature reserve(practical habitat management, leading volunteer work parties, survey work, running events and family activities). For more information on both reserves, please go to

Roaches Trainee

We are looking for a trainee warden to be based at the Roaches, our largest and newest reserve in the Peak District National Park near Leek. Based at a nearby office, the Roaches Trainee will work alongside the Roaches Warden to assist in the day-to-day management of the reserve. The trainee will gain experience required in running a large and busy nature reserve including practical habitat management, survey work, leading volunteer work parties and assisting in our annual 'Peregrine Watch'. For more information on The Roaches please go to

Warwickshire Wildlife Trust

Conservation Trainee

Based at the Trust headquarters at Brandon Marsh Nature Centre on the outskirts of Coventry, the first trainee will be an important member of the Reserves and Community Engagement team. The trainee’s role will be primarily to lead regular volunteer work parties in conservation work on reserves throughout the county. He or she will also be involved in working with other members of the Trust on community, conservation and education projects and with corporate work parties.

EducationTrainee

The People and Wildlife Trainee will join the Team based at Warwickshire Wildlife Trust at Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, near Coventry,and also be required to work at our centre at Brueton Park, Solihull. This role will support the Environmental Education work of the Trust for a significant part of the placement. The trainee will be involved in delivering a range of activities, including environmental education sessions, holiday workshops and children’s parties and events. During the quieter season (November-January), the trainee will also be able to work across other areas of the Wildlife Trust and have the opportunity to get involved in practical conservation work.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is looking for two trainees to join our Conservation team. Both roles provide opportunities to get involved with a number of areas of the Trust’s work. The trainees will support and work with the Conservation Team on a variety of tasks including practical reserves management, working with and leading volunteer groups, supporting and running events and delivering habitat creation and enhancement projects on partner’s sites. Both trainees will also support local Friends groups and there will be opportunities to undertake ecological surveys and produce site management plans. The post holders will work alongside our Communications Team to promote events, the Trust and our work. There will also be opportunities to work with our community and education staff.

Trainees will be based at our head office in Edgbaston, but could be asked to work at any of our centres, reserves or other project sites. For further information about the work of the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust please see

Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust

Conservation Trainee

The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust is looking for one Trainee to join the Trust’s Conservation Team based at our main offices in Leicester. This placement will involve working across 32 of the Trust’s nature reserves (excluding Rutland Water which manages a separate trainee programme) and will provide training and experience in practical habitat management and how to organise and manage a large volunteer group.

The trainee will be working under the supervision of the Trust’s Reserves Officer assisting with the management of our Mid-week and Sunday Volunteer groups to carry out practical conservation work on our reserves (see for further details).

Main duties will include undertaking practical work using a variety of tools (including powered tools) and equipment, leading practical tasks and supervising volunteers, tools/machinery maintenance and assisting with office based tasks (work reports, newsletters etc.). Dependent upon opportunities, the trainee may also be able to gain experience with other areas of the Trust’s work including delivering education and events, undertaking survey work, livestock management and production of management plans.

Wyre Community Land Trust

Wyre Community Land Trust are looking for two trainees who will be based at St Georges Farm in the heart of the Wyre Forest National Nature Reserve, near Bewdley. The Wyre Forest straddles the Worcestershire and Shropshire borders and covers over 6,000 acres. The trainees will be part of our small team and will have the opportunity to help with the management of parts of the National Nature Reserve, nearby Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and land under stewardship schemes.

The trainees will primarily work on a wide variety of practical conservation tasks, with weekly volunteer work parties and helping to look after our herd of Dexter Cattle. There is the opportunity to work with our forestry team and be involved in delivering our cultural and education program. The trainees are able to spend a portion of their time working with our partner agencies, Natural England, Forestry Commission, neighbouring Wildlife Trusts or within placements that they arrange.

For further information on WCLT please see