New Pilot To Increase Diversity In Nature Jobs

24th November 2021

A new pilot project has been launched with the aim of increasing diversity in nature-based jobs.

CEMVO Scotland and NatureScot have partnered on the Ethnicity in Nature Programme, which will provide four mentored placements for minority ethnic young people aged 18-29.

The salaried placements will be hosted by NatureScot where young people will gain experience of the wide range of nature-based jobs and career paths available.

The programme addresses a key issue identified in both Backbone CIC's recent Changing Landscapes Actioning Change Report and NatureScot's recent news release Action Plan for Nature-based Jobs and Skills on the need to increase diversity in nature-based sectors.

Read the full report: Action Plan for Nature-based skills

Claudia Rowse, NatureScot Deputy Director of Sustainable Growth, said: "Our research identified barriers to minority communities entering the sector and we know that we need to broaden diversity within our own workforce. Through this innovative project we want to begin to break these barriers down, reaching and engaging with young people who may not have thought of a career in nature-based sectors.

"These placements will give minority ethnic young people real experience working on a wide range of interesting and worthwhile projects, and we hope this will be just the start of a longer-term programme to increase the representation of ethnic minority communities within the nature-based workforce.

"This targeted project will also complement our wider £1 million programme for youth employment, which has so far supported around 40 new posts including modern and graduate apprenticeships, project and practical placements, trainee roles and internships, all of which will develop nature based skills for now and into the future."

Colin Lee, CEO of CEMVO Scotland, said: We are delighted to be working in partnership with NatureScot on this important initiative. CEMVO works with quite a number of environmental and nature related organisations to help progress race equality and know through our work that there is under-representation of EM people working within this sector. It is therefore good to see initiatives such as the one being delivered through NatureScot to address this imbalance, and one which we are fully supportive of."

The placements will run from January 5 - March 30 2022 and applications close November 29th. For more information, see CEMO Scotland's Ethnicity in Nature Programme Placement

Work Placement: 3 month full-time (35 hrs per week)
Salary: £20,533
Placement Start & End Date: 5th January 22 - 30th March 22
Location: Flexible throughout Scotland

CEMVO is a national intermediary organisation with the aim of building the capacity of the ethnic minority voluntary sector and its communities.

NatureScot is Scotland's nature agency and committed to ensuring a nature rich future for Scotland. We work hard to improve our natural environment in Scotland and inspire everyone to care about it.

NatureScot have developed the Ethnicity in Nature Programme and working in partnership with CEMVO Scotland, are looking to offer 4 paid work placement opportunities for ethnic minority young people aged between 18-28 years.

The aim of the work placements is to support the professional and personal development of young people from ethnic minority backgrounds who are or maybe interested in careers in nature-based sectors.

You will be employed by CEMVO during the placement, but your work will be within and managed by NatureScot who will encourage you to develop a capacity to adapt to, and handle, challenging situations within a well-established nature organisation.

These 12 weeks placements from January to March 22 will give you the opportunity to try out a nature based job and see if it's something you would want to progress as a career.

If you want to gain work experience within a nature based organisation which will perfectly position you to go on and continue in a nature based role, then this could be an ideal opportunity for you!

Application Deadline: 29th November 2021 at 12.30pm
Interview Date: 6th December 2021
Please contact CEMVO Scotland for an application pack:
Email: info@cemvoscotland.org.uk