Did you know that one in ten businesses across the UK is from the environmental and land-based industries? Although we may not always realise it, this vital sector touches all our lives from the parks we relax in to the food we eat. It currently employs over 1,100,000 people but as Lantra Sector Skills predicts that 110,000 more workers will be needed this decade, there are still plenty of opportunities to start and grow a career in this ever-changing sector. Why not take the time to consider one?

There are often many misconceptions about jobs in the sector but it’s not just been about muddy wellies, unsocial hours and manual graft. There is a whole range of jobs available from land-based engineering, managing the home turf of your favourite football club, to looking after our planet in environmental conservation.

What’s more, with safeguarding the environment and the UK’s ability to supply its own food and fuel rising on the political agenda, the importance of ensuring that the sector has a well qualified workforce cannot be underestimated. The sector is in growing need of new entrants due, among other things, to an aging workforce as currently 26% of the sectors workforce is over 55 years old.

With employers looking for people with more technical skills, to fill dynamic roles including Land-based Service Technicians, Countryside Rangers and Arboricultural Consultants, there are a vast number of opportunities that will continue to offer exciting roles that are well rewarded financially.

Ways into the sector

So how can someone get started in the environmental and land-based sector? There are a number of options available to help you join the workforce, wherever you live, whatever your age – from the traditional academic route, to road testing different types of work by volunteering, to getting stuck in straight away and earning whilst learning though one of the many Apprenticeship schemes available.

Many roles do not have formal entry requirements; however, having relevant qualifications and experience will only enhance employment opportunities. Competition for some roles can be high therefore any applicant must show their enthusiasm and desire for wanting to work in the industry.

Opting to do one of the many Apprenticeship schemes will offer an opportunity to work alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills and work towards a work-based qualification, at the same time earning an income. Apprenticeships are available to all ages and can be delivered entirely in the workplace or a combination of workplace and an approved college or training provider. Employers recognise and value Apprenticeships as they show that learners have been trained in the skills they need.

Foundation for a new life – adult Apprenticeship case study

An Apprenticeship is often described as a stepping stone into a new career. For 27-year-old Lee Catterick it is more a milestone that has become the foundation of a new life.

Lee is today a horticulture apprentice with Serco in the London Borough of Newham. He left school at 13, drifted in and out of ‘dead end’ jobs and even ended up spending a year in prison. A combination of that prison sentence, his developing interest and talent for working with plants, and Lee’s own determination have produced someone his boss, John Negus, describes as a rising star.

Serco is one of the world’s leading multi-service public sector companies and one of its specialist areas is to deliver environmental services across the UK, which includes the contract for ground maintenance for the London Borough of Newham.

Serco has supported Lee throughout his Apprenticeship with support from training providers Capel Manor. Only a few months on, Lee is settled and looking forward to a lifelong career doing a job he loves: “What’s the best bit of my Apprenticeship? Getting up and going to work - doing something that gives me a feeling of self worth. I enjoy gardening but this is better because as an apprentice I’m learning a skilled trade, a recognised trade. And earning while I’m learning. All in one. The bonus is there’s a qualification.”