Environment and Science Graduate Training Scheme
Duration
Approx. 4 years
Salary
Pay steps starting at £29,505
Location
UK wide
What is the programme?
Our four-year Environment and Science Graduate Training Scheme (E-S GTS) is an organisation-wide scheme, for recent graduates, which offers development opportunities to kick start your career in the environment and science sector.
Eligibility:
To be considered on the scheme, Graduate Trainees must have as a minimum an Honours degree in a relevant science or environment discipline. Further postgraduate qualifications can be considered.
Specific subjects required will be dependent on the specialised roles available each year, for this reason the specific subject requirements will change each year.
What will you experience?
A line manager, mentor and technical coach from the Environment Agency will guide you through your journey to chartership.
Structured training and development through modularised learning, will be specifically tailored to your individual learning and professional development plan.
Membership with a relevant professional body. Cost of professional membership will be covered
Varied development opportunities
- Job shadowing
- Project delivery
Benefits of scheme:
- Graduate networks – the scheme offers a range of networks, with virtual opportunities to meet peers
- 20% development time – minimum 20% protected time for learning and development
- Pay step progression – incremental career grade pay steps linked to annual performance review
- Permanent graduate contract – permanent contract with Environment Agency staff benefits
See what our very own graduates had to say!
Testimonial – Danny
I first saw the scheme advertised in May 2023. The variety of roles and the opportunity of chartership really caught my eye. The staff here are excellent company and always seem happy to help. The flexibility and independence have made working with ADHD far more manageable than my previous roles too.
Testimonial – Oluwakemi
My experience with the scheme has exceeded my expectations. The training has equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of waste management legislation and permitting processes. I have worked alongside experienced professionals who have been supportive in guiding me through various tasks and projects.
The ES-GTS has been a fantastic opportunity for me to kickstart my career in environmental science. It has allowed me to contribute to meaningful projects and gain invaluable insight into the waste management sector
Types of programme:
The scheme will recruit for specific graduate level roles in a range of environmental and science disciplines, rather than a general pool of graduate vacancies.
Some example roles in the past two years on the Environment and Science Graduate scheme:
- Biodiversity Officer
- Permitting Officer
- Hydrologist – Groundwater Protection Officer
- Water Quality and Resources Officer
- Asset Management Officer
- Flood modelling and Data analyst
- Flood and Coastal Management Officer
Career pathways in organisation:
The Environment Agency are committed to establishing meaningful career pathways for graduates giving them opportunities to develop as chartered professionals into the technical leads needed for the future.
After completing the scheme (expected to take 4 years), graduates will apply for specialist roles in the organisation and follow their passions and interests. Working in the Environment Agency they will continue to develop technical skills and expert knowledge throughout their career.
Specific recruitment information:
- The advert will go live in the new year with a bespoke application form. Questions asked will give candidates the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities and their motivation for joining the scheme.
- Candidates will then go through to complete a BBA (Behaviour Based Assessment) through a company called Arctic Shores. (More information on this below)
- Shortlisted candidates from the BBA assessment will have their application checked for degree suitability, and their application answers will be assessed.
- Candidates chosen for interview will then be interviewed once for the graduate scheme by a mixed panel if they have applied for multiple roles.
Behavioural Based Assessment
Standard Environment Agency recruitment tends to use Competency based questions to evaluate applicants for positions. These questions tend to favour applicants who can give experiences based in professional settings. As we do not expect applicants to our career entry initiatives to have prior work experience, we have chosen a Behavioural Based Assessment (BBA) approach
Success criteria have been selected that the BBA will score you on, and you will be scored and given an overall percentile rating. A minimum overall rating will be set for this programme and you will not be invited to interview if you score below that threshold.
We have chosen the success criteria based on what is the most important capability for working in the Environment Agency. As an example, the BBA will measure how you structure and plan your workload, how you progress and complete tasks to expectations and adapting your behaviour for effective relationships. Please note these may not be the exact success criteria we have selected but are examples.
What does the assessment involve? Can you give me a description of what to expect? – Arctic Shores
Do I need to practice? – Arctic Shores
Everything you didn’t know about neurodiversity | Arctic Shores
Please register your interest here to receive updates on the scheme.