Kickstart your
career

What’s on this page:

The Youth Environmental Service connects you with incredible opportunities to do a year of paid environmental work, working alongside other like-minded young people, all starting your careers together.

You’ll gain hands-on experience, learn transferable skills and build connections that will help you grow your career in the environmental sector and beyond.

We want to transform the environmental sector, making it accessible to everyone. That’s why we have a particular focus on supporting 18-25 year olds from communities currently underrepresented in the sector. 

Watch Stephanie's story and find out more about what it's like being a part of our programme!

How it works

Your year is about more than just doing a job - it’s a chance to build your confidence and develop new skills you can use in whatever you do next, all whilst having a real impact on our environment.

We make sure you have everything you need to thrive, in your role and as you start to build your career, helping you create a better future for you and for our planet.

The key components

  • Yellow blob that reads 'Pre-employment' with a green blob underneath reading 'Discover green careers: Explore our resources to find out what sparks your interest'
  • A green blob that reads: Apply through our website - visit our current opportunities page to find roles available near you. This isn't your usual application process, we prioritise enthusiasm over experience'
  • A yellow blob that reads 'Employment' and a green blob underneath reads 'Do great green work - work in roles directly tackling our environmental crises while gaining hands-on experience and skills that will set you up for any career path you take'
  • A green blob reads 'Join the YES community - Be part of a community of trainees supporting each other and become part of a wider movement of young environmentalists'
  • A green blob reads 'Access our learning programme - Develop universal skills through our learning and enrichment programme which runs alongside your role helping you thrive during and beyond the programme'
  • Yellow blob reads 'Post-employment' and green blob below reads 'Set the foundations for a career - Access support to discover future opportunities and use your skills and experience to shape your career
  • A green blob that reads ' Stay connected - Keep in touch with alumni and stay connected to the programme through networking events and mentorship opportunities'

The benefits of joining

We want to make sure that you get the most out of your year, leaving feeling empowered to create positive change in the world.

Taking part will mean you…

  • Earn a proper wage (paid at the real living wage rate) 

  • Gain hands-on practical experience

  • Join a community of like-minded trainees 

  • Get tailored career support and coaching

  • Grow your skills and confidence

  • Do something positive for our environment

Blob shape with image of a young woman smiling wearing glasses, green overalls and a pink lanyard
A yellow blob with green text overlaid that reads '"It's good to feel involved, to feel like you can have an impact." - Ed, YES trainee'

The work you’ll be doing

When we talk about environmental jobs, we mean any work that actively contributes to preserving and restoring our planet.

From protecting nature to installing solar
panels, you’ll be working in roles and organisations on the front-line of preventing nature and climate catastrophe.

There are so many different roles, spread across different departments, and in organisations across a range of sectors. Whether you want to get hands-on and work outdoors or you’re more suited to an office environment, there's something for everyone.

You can expect to join an organisation working in one of the following sectors:

  • Description Bringing more green spaces and wildlife back into our lives.

    These can be organisations protecting and creating ecosystems, managing nature reserves, creating urban green spaces such as community gardens, or encouraging people to connect with nature.

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Growing and producing food in ways that work in harmony with the environment.

    For example, organisations running market gardens, small holdings and farms, as well as green agri-tech businesses and food hubs.

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Moving away from fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas and switching to cleaner, greener energy sources such as wind, solar and hydropower.

    For example, organisations installing, generating or supplying renewable energy,

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Finding cleaner, greener ways to move people and goods around.

    This includes public transport, improving cycling and walking infrastructure, and installing EV charging stations

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Creating buildings and spaces that are
    eco-friendly and energy-efficient.

    These could be organisations focused on retrofitting buildings, green architecture and water saving systems.

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Rethinking how we produce and use goods to create a more sustainable future.

    Organisations focusing on reducing our material consumption, such as pollution prevention, reuse and repair, renting and leasing of products, and recycling of materials and resources.

    Organisations you could work for:

  • Preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change in our communities.

    This could be raising public awareness and readiness, improving flood defences and designing smarter, nature based solutions.

    Organisations you could work for:

We know it can be overwhelming to figure out what type of job is right for you, but we’ve hand-picked some resources which set out a variety of different pathways you might be interested in pursuing:

The Green Careers Hub from IEMA has loads of information about types of green careers and the skills you need to pursue them.

Lantra’s Careers Hub allows you to explore different industries, discover pathways into them and hear from people in the sector.

CIEEM created Green Jobs for Nature showcasing the variety of nature-focused jobs available and the range of people doing them.

Want to join?

Not a young person?