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Agriculture, Environment and Animal Care

The sector in a snapshot

With climate change becoming an increase concern, the demand for workers with a passion and the skills to protect the environment and natural habitats has become higher. Land-based careers can be divided into areas such as environment, agriculture, animal-care and land management. As well as including roles which help to sustain the natural environment, the sector employs over 500,000 people in agriculture which is vital for the national economy. Many people working in this sector will work for public organisations as well as not-for-profit organisations or charities.

This is a highly competitive sector to get involved with. For some roles such as farms or oceans, you may need to look further afield as there may be few opportunities close to home. However, with many “outdoor” opportunities available in Sheffield, there are a number of activities you can get involved with to expand your knowledge of careers in this sector.

What could the sector offer you?

Jobs in this industry may give you:

The chance to make an impact- from helping someone's pet to helping to prevent climate change, this is a sector full of opportunities for you to make a difference.
Opportunities to turn a passion into a career- if you're interested in animals and the environment, this is the career for you!
Variety- no two days will be the same working in this sector.
Chance to travel- depending on your role, you may find yourself needing to travel to places in the UK or maybe even abroad. The environment is a global issue and impacts on everyone.
Lots of outdoor work and exercise- it's likely you will spend most of your day getting outside, or at least a little mucky!
The option to be self-employed- some roles you may work for yourself such as a dog walker, pet sitter or groomer.

Reality Check

This sector is not one with a lot of vacancies and places can be competitive. A love of animals and the environment might not be enough in these cases, as qualifications and experience can make a world of difference. You will be expected to work in all conditions and all environments, sometimes with distressed or injured animals which can be physically and emotionally taxing, and sometimes messy!

You will likely need to have skills in....

Compassion, problem solving, nurturing, adaptability, resilience, team work, communication, organisation, planning, health and safety

Volunteering and work experience is essential in these careers. Sheffield has some great charities who look for volunteers below.

Manor Fields Park

Green Estate Limited

Regather Cooperative

Sheffield Cats Shelter

Holly Hagg Farm

Wildlife Trust

Heeley City Farm

Friends of the Earth- Sheffield

The Outdoor City- City Farms

Check out our yearly Green Careers Week (Nov) activities

Some roles in the sector

FARMER/FARM WORKER (Approx £25,480 per annum)

Working on or managing a farm will involve growing crops or raising livestock for the purpose of food production. Your day to day tasks will depend on the type of farm you work for but might vary from feeding and checking on the welfare of animals to fertilising and harvesting crops. If you are running of the farm you might also have responsibility for managing the finances for the business. There are a number of college and higher education qualifications that you could do that would help you in this role as well as gaining relevant work experience of the practical aspects of farming.

ECOLOGIST (Approx. £42,120 per annum)

As an ecologist, your work can help to protect the environment. You will carry out surveys to gain knowledge about the relationship between different species and ecosystems. You will carry out fieldwork and surveys to monitor the abundance of and distribution of species. The information you collect, interpret and report can contribute to changes in environmental policy and legislation. To become an ecologist you will need, as a minimum, a degree in biological or environmental science and will need pre-entry work experience to gain important practical skills. By joining relevant organisations you can get involved in ecological work and volunteer as part of a project team.

PLANT BREEDER (Between £20-25,000 per annum)

As a plant breeder you will work on improving the quality of plants and crops through scientific methods. This is an important role in agriculture and food production as the ultimate aim of the role is to increase the yield of crops. This work might be based out in the field or in a laboratory. To become a plant breeder you will usually need to be educated to degree level with a science based subject including life/agricultural science, genetics, biotechnology. Getting some work experience of this type of work on a university or summer placement would greatly improve your chances of finding full time employment in this type of work.