BLOG: How will the Youth Environmental Service help more young people be Force of Nature?

Force of Nature is an exciting campaign that asks environmental organisations to think differently about how we diversify our workforce and boost the environment sector.

In this blog series, we are asking why it’s important that more young people are supported to be a Force of Nature.

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April 2024

Imagine graduating school or university right now. Social media bombarding you with the very worst of humanity. An economy in recession. Public services crumbling. The prospects of finding work that affords a good life are slim. A climate more turbulent than ever and our natural environment in rapid retreat.

Imagine trying to be a force for good in that situation. Wanting to help fix these massive problems, but knowing how hard it is to make a material difference. It’s no wonder so many of our young people are disheartened, disillusioned, and anxious about the future. They’re entering a working world that no longer seems to work.

And if you do want to be a force of good for nature? Our sector provides too few entry level opportunities, available to too few people. Nature organisations need to step up and support more young people, especially those from marginalised backgrounds, to become a force of nature.

The Youth Environmental Service was set up in response to these issues. Our mission is for every young person to have the opportunity to do a year of paid environmental work. A year where they can build connections, gain experience, and develop the skills they’ll need to become effective environmentalists,

To do so, we:

• Empower nature, net zero and circular economy organisations to create and fill fantastic, accessible and entry-level paid opportunities that make a difference.
• Support young people from all backgrounds to thrive within them, helping them develop the skills, confidence and connections to go on and power our green transition.

Our goal over the next three years is to create 250 new entry-level paid opportunities for young people to become forces of nature. Focused in different regions across the UK, they’ll work at public, private and charitable organisations, across nature, net-zero, and circular economy sectors. We want to give them the chance to have a tangible impact on their local area, with work that helps restore nature, reduce harmful emissions, and build community.

But placements alone won’t be enough. We want to give our trainees a platform to show the world what a force of nature looks like, inspiring others to take up the cause. We’ll do so through both digital and physical platforms, giving them the space to tell their own stories and celebrating the work they’re doing, the impact they’re having, and the benefits they’re seeing from being a part of our programme.

We’re dedicated to amplifying the voices of young people who are currently underrepresented in the environmental sector, nurturing their stories to challenge misconceptions and create new beliefs that a better world is possible.

Ultimately, we hope to continue to scale, aiming ambitiously for 10,000 trainees every year by 2030. To do so, we need to advocate at the national level, building public and political support for a nationwide Youth Environmental Service programme.

Whatever the future brings, it’s clear that investing in young environmentalists will be crucial to building a more sustainable and equitable future. We cannot continue with past behaviours and outdated mindsets, where nature is neglected in the service of corporate greed. Young people need support to become forces of nature, and the Youth Environmental Service is dedicated to creating the next generation of environmentalists, ready to save our world, together.

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Notes to Editors

For more information please contact: media@groundwork.org.uk

About New to Nature

New to Nature will offer new, full-time, temporary work placements in nature and landscape organisations across the UK, aiming to increase diversity and enrich the environmental sector.

Funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the King’s Coronation, the programme will run until September 2024 and will provide paid work placements for at least 95 people, targeting young people from diverse backgrounds to undertake a range of environmental roles.

New to Nature is delivered through a partnership of Groundwork, The Prince’s Trust, Disability Rights UK, and Mission Diverse. We are working closely with the Youth Environmental Service to ensure the programme acts as a stepping stone for a longer-term journey of change in the sector: www.groundwork.org.uk/projects/new-to-nature/