Working with Employers

Describes what employers offer in terms of environmental jobs, Graduate Trainee schemes, placements, work experience, volunteering or events.

Environmental jobs

Employers in the non-governmental sector (businesses, consultancies and voluntary and community organisations) tend to rely more than the governmental sector (Government Departments and agencies) on informal recruitment processes, such as advertising and interviewing. They increasingly rely on work experience and placements as extended interviews. Larger businesses and consultancies often have graduate recruitment schemes. Most employers use their own or an agency website for recruitment. Some employers will target specific universities or courses for their recruitment.

Prospects brings students, graduates and recruiters together to provide a graduate careers support service. Prospects provides links to explore job sectors and communities and includes links to public and voluntary sector jobs and careers.

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services works as the professional association of careers professionals in Higher Education. AGCAS contains link to products that include, sector briefings, vocational courses plus a link to employability contains career development advice, jobs skills, toolkits and CV advice.

Environmental Graduate Trainee schemes

Many large employers will have their own Graduate Trainee schemes, often with a series of interviews or test as part of the long-winded recruitment process.

Graduate Jobs shows an example of a Graduate training scheme from Severn Trent water offering about 15 –20 graduate opportunities each year.

Environmental placements

Some employers have their own placement schemes eg. for sandwich course students or foreign interns. Most employers will use the national or regional placement schemes. Placements last from about 8 to 52 weeks. In the US placements are called internships and in France they are called Stagiaire.

Environmental work experience

National Council for Work Experience promotes, supports and develops quality work experience for the benefit of students, employers and the economy. NCWE provides list of work experience providers with a database to search by season, location and term. A student guide to assist with development and learning skills can be downloaded and a section on case studies.

Environmental volunteering

Employers in the voluntary and community sector offer most environmental volunteering opportunities e.g. BTCV, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts, Friends of the Earth. Local authorities and government agencies are increasingly offering volunteering opportunities e.g. National Parks, English Nature.

Several websites give advice and information about volunteering with organisations.

Student Volunteering England works towards ensuring every student has the opportunity to volunteer and make a positive difference in their community. SVE provides a number of information and resources, including reports publications, useful links conferences and how to locate a volunteer group.

Volunteering England works to promote volunteering as a powerful force for change, both for those who volunteer and for the wider community. VE illustrates news, event, how to apply for funding and describes what volunteering agencies do and how to become a volunteer.

TimeBank is a UK based national charity that encourages people to volunteer their time and skills for worthy causes in areas such as education, young people, health and the environment.
 

Events

Employers increasingly offer career advice on their websites, many of which have specific sections for graduates or environmental careers. Large employers, especially from the business sector, attend career fairs, have graduate open days or recruitment event. They often have specialist graduate recruiters who can offer further advice eg. Utilities companies.

Know your rights

Employment Law is a resource for UK employment law with free and unlimited access to more than 4500 fact cards on the basics of employment law in an easy to use format. EL provides fact sheets relating to employees, employers and professionals and facility to search for an employment lawyer in your area.

RightsNet provides a service for advice works in the area of welfare rights. RN provides information on legislation, research and includes welfare and related job vacancies and voluntary opportunities.

Working with Employers

What are employers like?
What do employers want?
What do employers offer?