Eight new graduates joined us last week as part of the company’s annual graduate trainee programme.
The scheme, now in its ninth year, is always heavily over-subscribed, and has so far created employment for more than 70 trainees within the company since it began. The graduates are now undertaking four weeks of intensive training, after which their training will continue in the field.
Their contracts will run up until the 31st December, when we hope to offer them permanent positions as assistant ecologists, subject to their performance throughout their contract term.
As always, competition for places on the graduate training scheme was stiff, and out of the 150 graduates who applied, 40 candidates were selected for interview. The interview process included a half day assessment, which involved identifying plants and species, as well as a written test, and a face-to-face interview. Their behavioural and technical competencies were assessed as well as the their commercial awareness. The interviews took place over six days and, because of the level of competition, it is now a requirement for all applicants to have a relevant master’s degree. These have included applied conservation in ecology and ecological and environmental management.
