Animals, Land and Environment

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous" (Aristotle)

For jobs in this career area it helps to have an interest in the natural world. Most of the jobs appeal to those interested in:

• animal care


• the countryside


• planting and landscaping


• the environment.

• Agriculture


• Arboriculture and horticulture


• Aquaculture and fishing


• Earth and environmental sciences


• Environmental and rural resource management


• Forestry


• Veterinary work


• Work with animals.

In most cases, prospects depend on where you live, or are prepared to live, as well as on the type of work you do and your qualifications. There isn't much forestry work in the central belt of Scotland!

Workers in the land-based and environmental sector account for about 2% of the Scottish workforce; most workers are male. Job prospects in this career area vary considerably in the different sectors. Growing awareness of climate change and the need for sustainable development will create opportunities for young recruits with transferable skills.

Agriculture is a small but important sector in Scotland. Many other jobs depend on it, especially in the Highlands and Islands. The number of full time jobs in agriculture has been falling and there is more use of part time, temporary or casual workers.

Forestry is another small but important sector. almost a third of forestry jobs in Scotland are in the Highlands and Islands. Job prospects are likely to stay stable in the next few years.

There are around 2,800 jobs in sea fishing in the Highlands and Islands - about 44% of the fishing jobs in Scotland. Around 3,200 people work in aquaculture, mainly in the production of salmon. The overall number of jobs in this sector is small, the workforce male dominated, with little part time work. The sea fishing (white fish) industry especially has suffered in recent years due to catch quotas, and other strategies to manage fish stocks.

Job prospects for vets are good. Openings in other jobs working with animals are more limited and there are usually more applicants than jobs. It will really help your chances if you do voluntary work with animals and try to get related work experience.

You can get into some jobs in this career area with few or no qualifications. Other things are more important, like being reliable, prepared to work hard and get up early. Ask any farm worker.

For other jobs you'll need a degree, and even postgraduate qualifications. This includes the science-based jobs like veterinary surgeon, geologist and meteorologist.

Many, like veterinary nursing, will need a good group of standard grades and involve doing further study and training. There are courses at many levels in agriculture, horticulture and rural resource management. They range from Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) to Higher National Certificate (HNC) and Higher National Diploma (HND) and degree level.

Work experience is particularly important for many of the jobs in this career area, especially in working with animals and farming.

Sources

Sector Profile: Forestry (2007); Sector Profile: Agriculture (2007); Sector Profile: Sea Fisheries (2007); Sector Profile: Aquaculture (2007) - all Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Lantra (Sector Skills Council for the Environmental and Land-based Industries) Scottish Sector Profile 2007

Lantra has two career websites.
One for young people at (http://www.ajobin.com/).
And, one for mature entrants at (http://www.afuturein.com/).

The Environmental Careers website produced by CIWEM (Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management) has useful information on careers and qualifications in the environmental sector at (http://www.environmentalcareers.org.uk/).