Skills for the future

Four new eager, experienced and environmentally friendly conservation trainees have fledged and flown the coop at Dorset Wildlife Trust, ready to face the world of employment with a list of qualifications and skills they could have only dreamed of. These fresh faced trainees are among the first in the UK to complete their training under the Heritage Lottery Fund initiative.

Megan Beckett, John Clode, Becky Hewins and Jess Tilley joined Dorset Wildlife Trust for a year as trainees to learn a variety of conservation skills from surveying rare reptiles, getting a chainsaw licence, and even helping with lambing on an organic farm. All four trainees had always dreamed of working in nature conservation. Now, with the Heritage Lottery fund’s ‘Skills for the Future’ project, Dorset Wildlife Trust has been able to help make their dreams come true.

Megan Beckett said, “It has been amazing, I’ve done lots of volunteering work before, but never with a Wildlife Trust.  It has been so interesting to see how things are done, and to learn such a broad spectrum of skills. It has been a real positive experience for me and I definitely suggest it for people in the future.”

Steve Davis, Volunteering Programme Manager at Dorset Wildlife Trust, said: “The aim of this project is to enable more young people to gain the skills required for a career in conservation.  It is particularly satisfying to have worked with these guys for the year and to see them progress.  It’s only been a few days since they finished and two of them are already in paid employment in the conservation sector.”

To get more inside information on exactly what it is like to work for Dorset Wildlife Trust, what the trainees learnt and where they are heading next, watch the final interview video featuring Megan and Jess at www.youtube/NeWr1Z1TvnI. Visit www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk for the latest events and volunteering opportunities across Dorset.