If you love animals and the outdoors, and are keen to help preserve our natural world for future generations, you might like to work as a conservation officer. One of the best ways to secure a career in this field is through a conservation officer traineeship.
What is a career in conservation?
As a conservation officer, you’ll be responsible for protecting and conserving both native flora and fauna. You might find yourself conducting regrowth and replanting projects, doing pest and weed eradication, inspecting parks and cultural sites, conducting controlled burns, monitoring native wildlife, and supervising park visitors and campers.
There are also opportunities for Indigenous people to learn and share traditional land caring techniques and provide advice on protecting land and animals.
What skills do I need for a career in conservation?
You’ll need to have the willingness to get your hands dirty and do lots of work outdoors. If you have a passion for conservation and sustainability, this could be an ideal career choice. You’ll need to be resilient and caring, as well as have good communication skills for educating the public on conservation efforts.
Why should I consider a conservation traineeship?
Traineeships are a great way to get your foot in the door with an employer and start building valuable skills. There are often lots of opportunities to continue working with your employer after your traineeship is complete, and even advance your career down the track.
As part of a conservation traineeship, you will be doing real work for an employer while completing study with a TAFE or RTO. A conservation traineeship usually takes 2 years to complete, depending on whether you work and study full- or part-time.
Here are some common qualifications you might want to look into:
- Certificate III in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Certificate IV in Conservation and Ecosystem Management
- Certificate III in On Country Management
- Certificate III in Parks and Gardens
There are tons of benefits to a traineeship, rather than just work or study alone, including:
- Getting paid while you learn – unlike uni, you can work and study without having to take on an insane work load.
- The opportunity to get hands-on experience, not just endless reading.
- The potential to connect with an employer and continue working with them after your traineeship is finished.
- Your qualification will be nationally recognised, meaning you can go anywhere with it.
Where can I find traineeship opportunities?
Just like searching for a job, there are lots of places you can go to find a traineeship. You can start your search on sites like SEEK and Indeed. Take a look on social media like Facebook or LinkedIn to see if any local businesses are hiring. Sign up with an Apprenticeship Network Provider or Group Training Organisation, or even go old fashioned and take a look in the local paper or give local businesses a call.
Here are some examples of the kinds of opportunities available:
- Land Conservation and Management Trainee, Melbourne VIC
- Traineeship Conservation and Ecosystem Management, Jamberoo, Wollongong, Illawarra & South Coast NSW
- Murujuga Indigenous Rangers, Dampier, Port Hedland, Karratha & Pilbara WA
- Indigenous Land Management Trainee, Eraring, Newcastle, Maitland & Hunter NSW
- Traineeships with the Department for Environment and Water, SA
