Green employability course starts in Burnley
Burnley Working Wild run by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, will be teaching people practical conservation skills as well as giving top tips for applying for jobs.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside’s Joel Micklethwaite started his career as a volunteer with the Trust in East Lancashire in 2016 after he’d completed a two-year BTEC in Countryside Management at Burnley College.
Eventually joining the trust as a staff member in 2019, Joel has worked with many different projects across his time at LWT from Brockholes, to reserves around Greater Manchester and some of the mosslands around the area.
Joel is now paying his 8 years of experience in conservation forward to more people, with a green employability course called Burnley Working Wild. The course has been funded by Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Community and Voluntary Solutions as part of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
The 6-week courses, running until March 2025, will give people an introduction to the environmental sector with a focus on learning important practical and surveying skills out in the beautiful green spaces of Burnley. Sessions will take place in the range of wild habitats in the post-industrial Brun Valley Forest Park, and in the beautiful Victorian gardens of Queen’s Park alongside Burnley Council’s Green Activities Coordinator. Attendees will also work with the Canal and Rivers Trust at the historic Finsley Gate Wharf and have a celebratory canal-based session with them too.
People on the course will have the opportunity to gain accreditation, learn from local people in green jobs about how they started out, and get support to apply and interview for environmental jobs or volunteer positions by showcasing their new skills.
Joel said “It’s really rewarding to be in a position now where I can provide other people with similar opportunities to start their career in conservation”
Burnley Working Wild is not the only Lancashire Wildlife Trust project in Burnley. The Chai Centre is a hub of environmental activities these days, with multiple other nature groups meeting during the week too – so if employability skills aren’t what you’re after, you’re likely to find something you’d like to try.
Growing Good Health is a nature and wellbeing project led by Assistant Nature and Wellbeing Officer Katie Chambers, which is funded by NHS Charities Together. It gets people involved in a wide range of nature-based activities including conservation and bushcraft, all with the idea of helping people’s mental health in a calm and supportive environment.
If art and creativity are your thing, Bold, Bright, Brilliant is run by Susan Whittle who has a wealth of arts and crafts knowledge to share. This Know Your Neighborhood project, funded by Creative Lives and The Arts Council, sees the team working on brightening the garden space with nature-based art and bringing the community together through food and storytelling.
If the food part of that really stood out, then Grow and Eat, funded by the Lancashire Environment Fund might be right for you – growing food, cooking in the new outdoor kitchen and enjoying the community feel that comes with a shared meal and some hard work.
All of the activities are free, and available to anyone over 18 years of age and living in Burnley, there’s even reimbursement for travel up to £8.
Burnley Working Wild has set start dates of 17th September, 29th October and 14th January.
Growing Good Health, Bold, Bright, Brilliant and Grow and Eat have rolling start dates so you can start at any time.
To enquire about these courses, email [email protected] stating the title of the course you’d be interested in joining.