Traineeships
The Trust offers a small number of paid trainee positions to help people starting out in a conservation career get experience and build practical skills.
So far these placements have taken place at the Great Fen as part of our Peatland Progress project and in our Wilder Luton team. We are very grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for funding these positions which have included practical conservation work, species monitoring, community engagement and communicating to our supporters.
All our volunteers are amazing people who are making a big difference for nature – but we realise that giving your time for free is not something everyone is able to do. That’s why we are on a journey towards phasing out unpaid early career work placements.
Check our vacancies page to stay up to date on the latest opportunities:
Here’s what some of our recent trainees have said about their placements with us.
Kaitlyn Goodwin, Peatland Progress trainee: “I’ve learnt a lot from creating digital marketing plans, running a social media page and supporting various family and adult nature events to conducting protected species surveys and coppicing trees. Another big thing I got out of the traineeship is confidence. From all of the experiences, to the amazing staff and volunteers I’ve met, I have grown to feel confident in my knowledge, to ask questions, to apply for different opportunities, to have a place within the conservation world, and to continue growing professionally as an ecologist. I was able to apply for jobs that I am 100% sure I would not have been able to apply to beforehand. I have now successfully attained a job as Assistant Ranger at Blakeney Point, Norfolk with the National Trust thanks to my time at the Wildlife Trust BCN!”
Ellen Blackmore, Peatland Progress trainee: “I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to join the Wildlife Trust BCN as a Peatland Progress Trainee. Prior to this role, I found it incredibly difficult to break 10 into the conservation sector and lacked relevant practical experience, despite holding an MSci in Environmental Science. I was also unable to commit to long-term volunteering, so the fact that this traineeship was a paid position made it accessible to me in a way that previous opportunities had not been. During the traineeship, I gained a wide breadth of experience. As a result, I am now in a much stronger position when applying for new roles, and I am very grateful for the opportunity and experience this traineeship has provided.”
Katie Bolton, Peatland Progress trainee: “When I completed my degree in 2024, what I had most in common with almost all of my fellow Zoology graduates was the struggle to get a job. I have gained so much from this traineeship in less than six months, and I am extremely grateful that organisations like the Wildlife Trust BCN are taking new steps to tackle the issue of job accessibility for young people in conservation. The traineeship gave me the skills, confidence and the financial breathing space to consider a big move for the next stage of my conservation career. I’m going to Japan to begin a Masters in the effect of paddy field abandonment on amphibian populations.”
Read more from the Great Fen trainees as they reflect on their conservation career journeys so far in this blog: Barriers and Secrets to Success - Young People in Conservation | The Great Fen
Talia Henman, Wilder Luton Trainee: “This traineeship has been an invaluable gateway into the conservation sector and has helped me to build confidence in my knowledge of UK wildlife and in my personal and practical skills. I have gotten to meet so many passionate people that have given amazing advice and overall reaffirmed my love for nature and conservation. Getting involved in the different types of work within each area of the Wildlife Trust has given me a comprehensive understanding of the conservation sector and allowed me to explore personal areas of interest that I may wish to pursue in my future career.”
Read more from Talia and Aaron about there experiences as Wilder Luton trainees in this blog: Final Update from our Wilder Luton Trainees | Wildlife Trust for Beds Cambs & Northants
