Voluntary Traineeships

A group of voluntary trainees posing for a photograph.

Voluntary Traineeships

"My traineeship in two words? Knowledge bomb!"

Our voluntary trainees tell us that it’s the knowledge, responsibilities and support they receive that makes their time with us so valuable. Most are looking for a career in conservation and in the last year over 65% have gone on into paid conservation roles.

Each year over 20 people volunteer as trainees with us, each spending time within a specific team. They learn the skills to create a Yorkshire rich in wildlife; whether it’s creating wet woodlands to reduce flooding, managing an urban nature reserve, inspiring schools about the seas or designing our next social media campaign!

Voluntary traineeships are open to anyone, although we do expect you to have some experience in the role you’re applying for. Roles are normally 6-12 months long and for 3 days per week. They are based across our sites but are normally at one of our regional offices. Along with reasonable travel expenses and a competitive training budget trainees also have access to our fantastic volunteer training programme which is open to all of our volunteers.

Current Opportunities

West Team INNS and Projects Voluntary Trainee x 2

Our Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) and river restoration project teams are looking for two passionate individuals to join the team as voluntary trainees. INNS are the second biggest threat to biodiversity within the UK, cost around £2 billion annually to manage, and cause numerous issues across Yorkshire such as infrastructure damage and increased bankside erosion. As part of the team, you will have the opportunity to assist staff to plan and undertake our INNS treatment programme, with tasks including surveying, INNS treatment, volunteer management, and helping deliver our UK-first post-treatment restoration scheme.

You will also learn about the work we do as hosts of the Yorkshire Invasive Species Forum (YISF), engaging with high-risk stakeholders and delivering training on INNS ID and biosecurity.In between the above tasks, there are also opportunities to work with other members of staff within the reserves and projects team, and skills training days run by the volunteer team.

This role will take place across the Calder and Colne catchments, primarily on private land and land of partner organisations. Taking a ‘top-down’ strategy to INNS management, the successful candidate will get an experience of INNS management on different areas of a catchment, from the upper-course tributaries to the main river course.

You will gain experience in:

  • Working with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders
  • The realities of project design and delivery
  • Practical INNS management – methods and limitations
  • Biosecurity best practice
  • Using in-house and citizen science data to plan catchment-wide project management
  • Assisting with organising volunteer surveys and delivery of volunteer task days
  • River-flow dynamics and water-quality monitoring techniques and skills
  • Surveying and INNS ID

You can expect:

  • Specialist training worth £600 in specific land management skills  such as pesticides, knapsack sprayer as well as first aid
  • Ongoing personal and career development training and one-to-one support from your trainee manager and the Volunteering Team staff
  • An intensive and high-quality experience that will stand out on any CV, as a team member of one of the UK’s most vibrant and varied conservation organisations
  • Contributions towards travel expenses of up to £16.20 a day capped at £195 per month.

Recruitment Information

This voluntary traineeship is for 12 months, 2 or 3 days per week Monday - Friday

If you are interested in applying for this role, please download the complete role description below and send in a completed application to volunteering@ywt.org.uk by the deadline, Monday 18th March. Interviews are anticipated to take place at our Stirley office, near Huddersfield on Wednesday 27th March.

 

Conservation Grazing Voluntary Trainee

We have a baaaa-rilliant opportunity to join our Conservation Grazing Team as we’re currently on the look-out for a Voluntary Trainee. You’ll gain skills and experience in all aspects of farm conservation and farm management, plus learn about conservation grazing techniques as well as general day to day practices. 

This is an exciting and varied role which promises to give you a great mix of skills! Former voluntary trainees from this role have gone on to achieve exciting careers in both the farming and conservation sectors, including farm managers, conservation grazing officers and community farm assistants.

The Rural Grazing project heads up our Livestock conservation grazing programme, which is home to 42 cattle and 650 Hebridean Sheep. Within this, the livestock graze over 312ha of land and nature reserves within Yorkshire, many of which holding different purposes and targets to achieve by the grazing.        

As a Conservation Grazing Voluntary Trainee you will be involved with practical estate work, habitat management and livestock husbandry and will gain lots of experience in:

•    Livestock husbandry- especially looking after their health and wellbeing.
•    Livestock administration in conjunction with the grazing team.
•    Habitat management and other practical conservation tasks (all with support and training) – such as planting trees and hedges, hedge laying, coppicing, construction of fences and scrub clearance.
•    Range of hand and power tools (following training), their use and some maintenance.
•    Animal handling and to be involved in lambing, vaccinating and shearing (depending on season) and all general livestock duties.
•    Cattle and Sheep breeding programmes and animal health plans. 
•    Maintaining Health and safety in the farm workplace. 
•    Livestock haulage and trailer driving 

Our voluntary traineeships all come with a personal training budget to develop your skills and knowledge further (£600 for a 12 month placement) and contributions towards travel expenses of up to £16.20 a day capped at £195 per month.

Recruitment Information

This voluntary traineeship is for 12 months, 2 or 3 days per week Monday - Friday - based at either Potteric Carr, near Doncaster or our Hull regional office

To apply for this voluntary traineeship, please complete an application form and send it into volunteering@ywt.org.uk by the closing deadline: 9am, Monday 18th March 2024. Interviews are anticipated to take place on Wednesday 3rd April at Potteric Carr, near Doncaster

                                                                          

Nature Reserves Voluntary Traineeship - East Yorkshire

Our East Reserves Team working across the Vale of York and into East Yorkshire are looking for a passionate individual to join the team as a voluntary trainee to support staff to undertake practical land management tasks, support with the delivery of volunteer task days and learn reserve administrative management.

You will help with the management of some of our most beautiful nature reserves giving you a broad range of practical and administrative skills across different habitats and further protecting Yorkshire’s wildlife.  From our first nature reserve Askham Bog with its mosaic of fen, woodland and meadow, to the York lowland heaths, you’ll be working with a broad range of habitats and associated fauna and flora in this varied role.

This role will involve a variety of outdoor practical conservation tasks on nature reserves as well as office-based tasks, which will give you the essential background knowledge and understanding to enhance the practical side of the role.

There is the opportunity to learn a wide variety of skills and to expand your knowledge with our varied internal volunteer training programme, along with a generous training budget for external training.

You will gain experience in:

  • Practical land management e.g. grassland management, scrub removal, tree felling.
  • Invasive species removal.
  • Fencing and other essential maintenance work on reserves.
  • Livestock checking and assisting with livestock movements.
  • Assisting with the delivery of volunteer task days.
  • Writing risk assessments for practical tasks.
  • Learning about reserve management planning and CMSi software to create management plans.
  • Knowledge about grazing agreements.
  • Assisting with the planning and delivery of events.

Our voluntary traineeships all come with a personal training budget to develop your skills and knowledge further (£600 for a 12 month placement) and contributions towards travel expenses of up to £16.20 a day capped at £195 per month.

Recruitment Information

This voluntary traineeship is for 12 months, 3 days per week Monday - Friday, but can be reduced to 2 days to fit around your personal commitments if needed.

To apply please download the role description and send in a completed application to volunteering@ywt.org.uk by the closing deadline 9am, Wednesday 10th April. Interviews are anticipated to take place in the week commencing 22nd April in our York Office.Â