LEMUR provides career opportunities for those wishing to go into nature conservation but who have limited or no experience.
What would a placement offer me?
A LEMUR placement would offer you professional 'on the job' practical experience that an academic qualification wouldn’t necessarily give you, but which employers would be looking for.
LEMUR supports this 'on the job' experience with tailored training in a variety of key technical skills, in areas including species identification, wildlife habitat survey, habitat management, heritage interpretation and those all important generic work skills such as project management and computer skills.
The placement would also offer specific vocational qualifications that demonstrate a proven competence in skills learned 'on the job'.
Click here for more information about vocational qualifications.
Who is the placement for?
The LEMUR project particularly welcomes applications from recent graduates, those wishing to change careers and those with little formal education but all of whom have little or no experience. All must be able to demonstrate a passion, commitment and enthusiasm for wildlife (examples include: self motivation to get involved in volunteering opportunities linked to watching and recording different animals and plant species, talking to people about wildlife, working with traditional crafts etc..).
The project seeks to recruit enthusiastic, committed individuals willing to work as part of a team with other like-minded people, sometimes under time pressures, but always with a smile.
We are seeking those who are keen to achieve a vocational qualification that will help them gain employment. This project offers the potential for you to become part of a network of employed environmental professionals.
Click here for more information about vocational qualifications.
What kind of placements are on offer?
The types of placement are likely to be varied and geographically spread out within the West Midlands, South Yorkshire and Devon. You can choose which one best suits your wildlife interests. You will gain natural heritage conservation skills mainly through on-the-job work experience and training, in real roles with real outputs.
The types of placement will vary from:
- identifying species and undertaking surveys in marine/inter-tidal zone, terrestrial habitats such as woodlands and grasslands;
- interpreting biological data and producing industry specific habitat management plans that help direct and inform decision making
- undertaking practical delivery of conservation works (including the supervision of volunteers) at nature reserves and other heritage sites;
- leading groups of volunteers working on heritage sites;
- helping to develop systems to make Local Bio-diversity Action Plans more accessible and useful to a wider range of users who may know little about the LBAP or about trends in bio-diversity conservation;
- developing educational environmental resources and helping to develop and deliver environmental education sessions designed for children and community groups;
- helping to promote the understanding of sustainable production of woodland products.
Click here for examples of previous host placements.
What training will I get?
At the team-build there are a series of activities designed to bond the new team of trainees together. The trainees also receive training course tasters operated by the different hubs, such as barn owl pellet analysis, bat survey and vegetative grass identification etc..
At the very beginning of each placement, all trainees undergo a block of ten days of ‘Hub Core Learning’, which is specific to each Hub. This learning reflects the nature of each placement and is organised and delivered by each Hub in order to equip trainees with the basic skills needed for them to start their placements. These skills focus on species identification, wildlife habitat survey, habitat management and heritage interpretation (education) skills.
For example: The Marine hub provides a solid foundation in heritage interpretation skills and practical experience in planning and running a real education event for large groups of school children within the shore zone. The Rural and Urban hubs offer a solid foundation in botany, species identification and habitat survey skills.
Here the trainees learn basic principles of botany, the use of a range of ‘Floras’ in identifying species, habitat condition assessment principles, gain knowledge of differing species ecological importance and their specific wildlife protection, landowner liaison skills, risk assessments and knowledge of differing habitat surveys such as Phase 1. By the end of the two weeks, the trainees are able to plan, implement and report on a full phase 2 survey of an ancient woodland as per industry standards.
The earlier hub core training is later backed up by a further 5 day block of training once the trainees have settled into their roles at their hosts – usually a couple of months later. This learning is also organised and delivered by each Hub. In some hubs this training may incorporate a variety of protected species survey and mitigation measures for dormice, great crested newt, badger and bats etc.. In other hubs there may be a focus on grassland survey skills which is run along the lines of the hub core training for woodlands.
Additionally, each trainee will have the opportunity to attend some external training courses if a specific training need is identified within their Individual Learning Plans. A central ‘external training budget’ with an initial allowance for each trainee has been included within the project budget to cover the cost of any essential external training.
This external training is only encouraged where the trainee ’s Individual Learning Plan has identified a specific need that cannot be covered by Hub courses or by the host while on their placement.
Examples of courses attended by trainees have included additional specific species identification and survey courses for beetles, moths, fungi, bumble-bees, bats, butterflies, national vegetation classification (NVC), pond survey and ecology, barn owls and reptiles. Other courses have included: RYA Powerboat handling, G.I.S (Map Info) and G.P.S., marine mammal medic (run by british diver’s Marine Llife Rescue), hedgelaying, dry-stone walling, and traditional chair making. Some of the trainees have used their additional training allowance to join IEEM as an affilliate member in order to access other courses.
Each group of trainees in each hub is responsible for planning, promoting and running a ‘hub open day’ event to showcase their skills that they have learned so far. These events allow fellow trainees from other hubs to learn a little more about another dimension of work in the heritage sector. The event provides a safe platform upon which to practice, and develop skills required of a trainer and event organiser as well as for the trainees to network with potential employers. LEMUR is also plugged into the network of amateur biological recording groups and societies within their hub area. The trainees join in with additional volunteer based activities in their spare time. This way they maximise their learning and make the beginnings of important contacts to help them through their career.
In parallel with the working day, you will need to collect evidence towards a portfolio that illustrates your growing competence to the do the job. Acquiring this evidence normally occurs naturally, as part of the work placement.
What will be expected of me during the placement?
As a trainee, you will spend your placement working alongside professional staff from one of the host organisations, learning valuable practical and communication skills and gaining an intimate insight into the organisation’s environmental conservation work. It is during the time with the host that you can put your new skills into practice, and reinforce them whilst working on real conservation initiatives that your host is delivering. In parallel with the working day, you will need to collect evidence towards a portfolio that illustrates your growing competence to do the job. Acquiring this evidence normally occurs naturally, as part of the work placement.
Assessors from the hubs (Ambios, Herefordshire, Sheffield) will guide you through the process which leads to the vocational qualification. The LEMUR project offers units from the Environmental Conservation NVQ level 3 and Biological Assessment Skills OCN Level 3. Your choice of units and level will depend partly on you and partly on the opportunities presented at your chosen host organisation and the type of work you will be doing. Your NVQ Assessors will help you to decide the best units to take.
Every 6 weeks you will also receive support sessions on NVQ or OCN portfolio building, employability skills and (towards the end of your placement) C.V. writing and interview skills. The project will also require you to undertake some self-assessments of your abilities and working practices at different times during your placement.
Is the placement funded?
You will receive a training bursary allowance of around £120 per week to cover your living costs over a 9 month period (this is under review). You will also receive an additional flat rate contribution towards your travel to and from both your placement and LEMUR training days.
How long is the placement for?
Current placements have extended over a 9 month period. If you feel this is too long or not long enough please see question 4 on our on-line questionnaire.
Click here for the trainee questionnaire.
What our trainees say!
"Many conservationists struggle with the dilemma of which comes first... experience or a job. The LEMUR experience was my answer to that 'chicken and egg' question. The training, work based learning and exchange of ideas with other LEMUR trainees, gave me the experience I needed to start competing in the job market.”
Joe Bawden, Heritage Conservation Skills Trainee (Sheffield Wildlife Trust)
Now - Assistant Sites Officer (SWT) & Countryside and Ecology Technician (Peak District National Park Authority)
Click here to see Joe in the LEMUR film.
“The training we received when we started was intensive but very enjoyable. We learnt a lot about plants and surveying in our first three weeks! The opportunity to go out with specialists and learn from them has been very valuable.”
Bernadette Noake, Assistant Conservation Officer Trainee (Malvern Hills Conservators)
Now - Project Officer, Butterfly Conservation
Click here to see Bernadette in the LEMUR film.
“The LEMUR experience has changed my life. The practical skills I developed, such as delivering education sessions, working with children and project management, evidenced through NVQ qualifications, enabled me to secure my dream job post LEMUR. The mix of on the job experience, internal and external training built my confidence and prepared me for the realities of working in the environmental sector.”
Simone Singleton, Heritage Education Trainee (The Green Estate Co., Sheffield Wildlife Trust)
Now - Waste Education Officer, Buckinghamshire Waste Partnership
'Working alongside marine biologists and experts within my sector was an opportunity of a lifetime. Without a doubt, making those contacts enabled me to get to the position I am in today.'
Abigail Crosby, Marine Heritage Environmental Education Trainee (Marine Biological Association).
Now - Marine Education Officer, Cornwall Wildlife Trust
“I feel that it was a fantastic opportunity that has helped me to find rewarding work and believe it has set me up to for a career within outdoor, conservation work. I am working as a Countryside Ranger on a private estate (Finlaystone Country Estate) 30 minutes outside Glasgow along the River Clyde”
Liam Prior, Coastal Heritage Trainee, Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust
Now - Countryside Ranger, Finlaystone Country Estate
“The skills that I learnt while on the LEMUR scheme, which included field identification and surveying skills, were vital to my securing my current job. The skills that I acquired during the placement were fully exploited and indeed built upon, having the ability to focus on specific aspects of the position’s duties.’
Rebecca May, Ecological Assistant Trainee, Warwick County Council
Now - Ecologist, Warwick County Council
Click here to hear more from Rebecca in the LEMUR film
“This LEMUR placement has provided me with a first-class opportunity to be trained in ID and surveying and to continue learning in the field. I have been introduced to a number of specialists and hope that, through continued networking, I will secure employment in agricultural conservation soon after the placement ends”.
Catherine Haynes, Ecological Assistant trainee, Herefordshire
Now - Working at Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group
"The LEMUR Project provided me with an intensive and structured 9 months work-based placement that built on my ecological and generic skills and catapulted me into a career in ecology."
Helen Fletcher, Ecological Consultancy Assistant Trainee, Worcestershire Wildlife Consultancy
Now - Assistant Consultancy Ecologist, Worcestershire Wildlife Consultancy
Click here to hear more from Helen in the LEMUR film
