A SUCCESSFUL Wild Paths training scheme is returning to the area to combat a skills shortage.

The popular training programme is back to train the future conservationists in protecting the county’s wildlife and wild places.

The scheme is run in collaboration with the south west Wildlife Trusts and training will begin again in September 2021 following a year’s break due to Covid-19.

Debbie Chambers, leading the project for Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, said: “If you have a passion for the natural environment, a 10-month traineeship with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust could be just what you are looking for.”

“The hugely successful Wild Paths Trainee Scheme is now entering its sixth and final year and we are delighted to be able to offer two traineeships within our conservation and land management team. As a trainee with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust you will have the opportunity to gain a wide range of skills that will be invaluable for securing a job in the conservation sector.”

As part of its Skills for the Future programme, the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has already enabled five Wildlife Trusts in the South West to train 20 aspiring conservationists since 2018, in response to skills shortages within the South West conservation sector.

This is the final year for National Lottery Heritage Funded traineeships. The scheme will appoint 10 new trainees to start in September 2021.

Traineeships will be based at Avon Wildlife Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Somerset Wildlife Trust and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. Each will focus on practical conservation, working with volunteers, and engaging people and communities with their natural heritage.

As well as gaining formal qualifications, and a bursary, the trainees will receive complementary training in transferable skills, to enhance their future employability and consolidate their learning, by working with Wildlife Trust staff.

More information about the scheme can be found at dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/WildPaths