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Every year the Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester & North Merseyside provides
training for up to 200 people on the Government's
New Deal programme with a significant number of these people moving from unemployment
into sustainable jobs. The
trainees work on a wide range of practical projects which contribute to the protection
of the local environment. Our training teams make a significant contribution to
the management of our Nature Reserves as well as delivering environmental improvements
on a wide range of conservation and amenity sites. Some
of our trainees are placed with partner organisations, such as Refurb
in Fleetwood, where they recycle furniture and domestic items for return to the
community and the Upbeat
kerbside recycling project in Blackpool. With
the use of additional funding from the European
Social Fund, trainees can receive a wage while training in a real work environment.
This experience in the workplace, combined with a tailored job-search programme
has proved to be a very successful combination for preparing our trainees for
sustainable employment. As a result of this funding New Deal trainees can improve
their career prospects by acquiring skills in machinery operation and driving. The
Wildlife Trust's New Deal trainees make a significant contribution to the management
and improvement of the local environment. The work of the training teams helps
the Wildlife Trust in the achievement of its aims and progress towards biodiversity
targets. Local communities can benefit greatly from the work of the teams as many
of the projects make local greenspace more accessible to communities and enhance
the local environment. New Deal teams can provide cost effective delivery of projects
and additional value while enjoying personal development and employment benefits.
The New Deal teams can also work alongside the Wildlife Trust's Contract
Teams to provide a flexible and effective delivery mechanism for practical
projects. The
Wildlife Trust's NVQ centre provides National Vocational Qualifications in Landbased
Operations (level 1) and Environmental Conservation (levels 2 & 3) for its trainees,
staff and others. NVQ candidates are assessed in the workplace by the Trust's
skilled assessment staff, to reach the standards required for these qualifications. Project
Officer Apprentices work alongside existing members of staff to develop the full
range of skills required to design and manage environmental projects. Our current
apprentices, funded by East
Bolton Regeneration are gaining the diversity of skills and experience required
for the Project Officer role, including ecological survey, practical land management,
volunteer supervision, community engagement and managing the project budget. These
skills can only be developed in the workplace on live projects, supported by mentoring
from staff and vocational training. For
more information on the Wildlife Trust's Training schemes please contact:
Steve
Cowell
Training and Contracting Manager
tel: 01204 663754
email: scowell@lancswt.org
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