The East Midlands Skills and People Conference 2025 brought together regional leaders, businesses, and organisations to tackle one of our most pressing challenges: creating meaningful pathways for young people into sustainable employment. As discussions unfolded around underemployment, inclusion, and the vital role businesses play in skills development, one message resonated clearly – we all have a part to play in nurturing the next generation of talent. 

The Challenge We Face Together 

The conference highlighted a sobering reality: with over 920,000 young people aged 16-24 not in employment, education or training across the UK as of early 2024 representing 12.5% of all young people in this age group (Office for National Statistics 2025), youth underemployment continues to impact communities across the East Midlands and beyond. While qualifications and potential are in abundance, the bridge between education and meaningful career opportunities often remains frustratingly elusive. This gap doesn't just affect individual young people; it impacts our entire regional economy and the future sustainability of vital sectors. 

The conversations around inclusion were particularly powerful, with inspiring examples like Capita's work placement scheme for candidates with disabilities demonstrating how innovative approaches can open doors that were previously closed. These initiatives remind us that diversity isn't just morally right; it's essential for building a strong organisation. 

Conservation: A Sector Ready for Young Talent 

At Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, we've witnessed firsthand how the environmental sector offers unique opportunities for young people seeking purpose-driven careers. The conservation and environmental management field is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by climate action commitments, biodiversity recovery initiatives, and the increasing recognition of nature's value to society. 

Yet despite this growth, we've seen talented young people struggle to access our sector. Traditional recruitment pathways often favor those with existing experience, creating a circular challenge where entry-level positions require experience that's difficult to obtain. This is precisely the kind of systemic barrier that regional collaboration like that championed at the conference can help us overcome. 

Our Traineeship Programme: Opening Doors to Green Skills 

Our traineeship programme represents our commitment to being part of the solution. We've designed pathways that don't just provide work experience, they offer genuine skill development, mentorship, and the confidence that comes from meaningful contribution to conservation work. 

Our trainees work alongside experienced ecologists, environmental stewards, nature recovery experts, and environmental educators, gaining hands-on experience in everything from habitat restoration to wildlife monitoring. They learn transferable skills like project management, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement which are competencies that serve them well whether they continue in conservation or apply their newfound expertise elsewhere. 

Building Inclusive Pathways 

Inspired by examples shared at the conference, we're committed to ensuring our traineeship programme is accessible to young people from all backgrounds. We actively work to remove barriers that might prevent participation, adopting an anonymous recruitment process and offering an application process that is focused on behaviours over experience. We offer flexible arrangements, a living wage, comprehensive support, and clear learning opportunities to take into the sector.  

Our partnerships with local colleges, jobcentres, and community organisations help us reach young people who might not otherwise consider conservation as a career option.  

Our traineeship programme contributes to a wider ecosystem where young people can move between sectors, carrying skills and experiences that benefit the entire economy. 

The green skills our emerging talent develop from ecological survey techniques, project management, community engagement, fundraising to environmental impact assessment, are increasingly valuable across industries. Construction companies need environmental expertise, businesses require sustainability knowledge, and communities need people who understand how to balance development with nature's recovery. 

Looking Forward 

The East Midlands Skills and People Conference 2025 reminded us that addressing youth underemployment requires collective action. At Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, we're proud to contribute through our traineeship programme, but we know that lasting change happens when organisations across all sectors commit to providing genuine opportunities for young people. 

We're actively seeking partnerships with employers who share our commitment to championing current and future generations to drive forward nature’s recovery. Whether through joint projects, apprenticeship funding, shared training resources, or collaborative placements, there are countless ways we can work together to ensure young people have access to the skills and opportunities they need to thrive. 

The future of our sector requires bold, transformative action where everyone plays their part to make it happen. By investing in the development of green skills now, we're not just addressing current skills gaps; we're building the foundation for a more inclusive and equitable environment. 

We're keen to create innovative partnerships which support green skills and green skills development, so if you want to partner, get in touch!

References 

Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK - Office for National Statistics 

Environmental Improvement Plan: annual progress report 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK