At School and College
Even at school and college, you can start gaining knowledge that will help you get a green job for nature.
GCSE/IGCSE
At school ecology and environmental topics are often covered in biology and geography classes. To provide more focus on ecology and the environment, there are several new subjects being developed including the Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management, the Cambridge IGCSE Marine Science, and the new OCR GCSE Natural History.
The STEM Ambassador Programme helps schools bring STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to life through volunteers who share their knowledge and experience. Ask your school or education provider if they could have a STEM Ambassador visit.
A-Level
If you are considering a career in academia or know you want to go to university, then the go-to next step for many after GCSEs is studying A-Levels. There are a range of A-Levels available on ecology and environmental subjects so a good starting point would be to ask your school/sixth form or college if they offer the AQA Environmental Science A-Level.
Vocational College
Land-based vocational courses are a great alternative to A-levels that can help you gain skills needed for a specific career and include practical elements as well as classroom-based learning.
Many of these courses are offered at a variety of levels and allow for progression to the higher level 3 courses, and level 3 qualifications of this kind which could allow further study at university if you wanted to.
Courses of this type include BTECs in Countryside Studies, Forestry and Arboriculture, and Environmental Sustainability. City and Guilds also have many options such as Countryside and Environment, Environmental Conservation, and Game and Wildlife Management.
If you’re interested in this way of studying, then look up your nearest land-based college and have a look through their prospectus.
