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Sector Outlook
If you are interested in countryside and wildlife careers, there are some promising
opportunities. Landscaping, agriculture, animal care and horticulture are key
areas of the industry, and between now and 2020 there will be a need for 250,000
workers throughout the sector. Vacancies will be found particularly in business and
management, marketing, sales and finance with other opportunities being available
in customer service roles and skilled trades.
The workforce in the sector is aging so as a young potential employee you should
find yourself in demand, especially if you have achieved a level 3 qualification or can
show that you are willing to learn. For the same reason, graduates are also needed
and of the 230,000 businesses in the sector you could find employment with either
a multinational company or a small family owned businesses.
Graduate training schemes are more likely to be found in larger companies,
for example, AGCO, British Sugar, JCB, John Deere, Kuhn, Magnox as well as
government bodies such as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(DEFRA) or the Forestry Commission. Opportunities can also be found with non-
profit organisations such as OneKind, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals (RSPCA) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Given the need for the UK to increase its food production graduates with technical,
scientific and business management skills are particularly in demand. If you
decide not to take up higher education you could concentrate your job search
efforts around those parts of the industry that are forecasted to grow. Areas worth
exploring include environmental conservation, landscaping, horticulture, sports
turf management, animal health and welfare, food safety, environmental
assessment, and waste management.
According Lantra (the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-
based sector) many employers value skills and experience over qualifications so
to get your foot in the door you might want to consider volunteering for charity
organisations such as the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, the National
Trust or the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Alternatively you could gain
experience by taking on a temporary role.
Countryside and Wildlife