Back in 2022, INCC undertook some research into wages and conditions in the conservation sector, publishing this research in Natur Cymru (edition 65). The article highlighted that many roles in conservation, at that time, were poorly paid in relation to the skills and experience expected of applicants. It also highlighted the perilous nature of employment, especially for early career jobseekers, with many contracts being fixed term and/or seasonal – leading to poor outcomes for individuals across training, advancement, and personal opportunities such as securing a mortgage.
This issue is part of a longer-term campaign for INCC, which believes in the importance of secure roles and competitive pay if our conservation sector to succeed, also its role in enabling us to engage with the diverse audiences we need, to bring about change.
Have things progressed since that article was written? What are the current issues facing those seeking employment in conservation? This month we’ve been delighted to undertake further investigation of how the sector is faring, and this has recently been published by the Countryside Jobs Service (CJS).
A huge thank you to CJS for allowing us to work with them to shine a spotlight on some of these concerns.
You can read the article here: Value and vocation: the current state of pay and prospects in conservation (countryside-jobs.com)
Countryside Jobs Service main website: Countryside Jobs Service (countryside-jobs.com)
Original Natur Cymru article (2022) here: FAIR PAY FOR FAIR WORK – Initiative for Nature Conservation Cymru
