Becoming an apprentice or trainee
Traditionally people wishing to start a career in countryside management would go to college or university and then, in order to gain practical experience, would have to volunteer to obtain the skills needed to secure employment. This route is open to very few people and although the option is there CJS would like to see a greater increase in the provision of apprenticeships.
We classify a voluntary placement as one which is totally unpaid or has only out of pocket expenses. Whereas an apprenticeship has some remuneration in addition to a significant level of training leading to a recognised qualification.
Many trainee roles involve working with an experienced member of staff and learning on the job, OK you are not on a wage but you are getting some pay and learning whilst you work.
Find out what options there are for you if you chose to go down this route and check out the adverts currently on the CJS apprenticeship page here
Read more about apprenticeships in the sector in these articles from:
- Bridgwater & Taunton College here
- National Trust online here and the experiences of one of their apprentices here
And, I’m not sure if you remember, if you are a student, we are offering free subscriptions to CJS Weekly - the publication that drops in to your inbox every week and carries all the CJS content in one handy place.
All you need to do is fill in the form here and we'll start sending you weekly copies.