Apprenticeships

In the video below, Lauren Cole talks about her experiences as an Environmental Conservation apprentice at Langdon Hills Country Park.

Lauren says:

"I'd say an apprenticeship is great for any age. I'm an older apprentice.

"Not a lot of people believe I'm an apprentice because they think it's for young people. But, especially in this kind of work it's good to get your foot in the door.

"My role involves helping the Senior Park Ranger and the Assistant Park Ranger. We start off during the morning opening up the park, we change the bins and greet the dog walkers because it's a quiet local place for dog walkers. Then it depends on the season really.

"At this time of year we've been coppicing which is taking the trees right back to ground level, which helps the woodland grow up again and you get different plant species. Then it starts all over again, which is called succession. Just the amount of training you get is great.

"When I started I couldn't drive a tractor and now I can do tractor and trailer work and use lots of heavy machinery. I'm fully licensed to use a chainsaw, which not a lot of women can do, so I'm quite happy with that. And just the amount of knowledge that the other rangers have got and have passed on to me is crazy.

"I wish I had a bigger brain!"