Apprenticeships with a royal seal of approval

March 7, 2025

Our Countryside Worker Apprenticeship was one of six special apprenticeships “handpicked by experts” to mark the Coronation of The King, in recognition of their gold-standard green skills training.

We were delighted to welcome a record cohort of new apprentices to the YDMT Rural Apprenticeship Scheme last Autumn, giving more young people the opportunity to build exciting careers in the countryside.

YDMT apprentices Saskia and Amelie

Shaping futures through skills and opportunities

As part of our mission to support young people into green jobs, the apprenticeship scheme has achieved significant success. 80% of participants are successful in securing jobs in the environment sector or go on to higher education after completing the scheme. In 2024 we welcomed 10 new recruits, as well as a growing number of employers, including Cumbria Wildlife Trust, PBA Applied Ecology and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, among others.

2023-2025 YDMT apprentices visit Malham Cove

For many of our new apprentices, the opportunity to work outdoors along with developing skills in conservation and ultimately working in countryside-based roles, was the main reason they were attracted to the scheme. Saskia, a new apprentice based at Cumbria Wildlife Trust, has clear hopes for the future: ‘’I hope to work in conservation in Cumbria and be part of protecting this landscape.’’

YDMT’s Jo Boulter, who manages the scheme, said “We are delighted that the Countryside Worker Apprenticeship was recognised as part of His Majesty The King’s Coronation. The purpose of our Rural Apprenticeship scheme is to make a future career in the environmental sector possible for local young people. These opportunities are more important than ever as our environmental challenges grow, and we need more people who are equipped with the skills to tackle them.”

Helping local young people to get on the career ladder

Increasing numbers of young people leave rural areas like the Yorkshire Dales because of limited job opportunities. Our Rural Apprenticeship scheme aims to address this issue through giving young people the chance to develop their skills and get experience with employers in and around the Yorkshire Dales, Cumbria and Nidderdale, while also combining college studies with certified training courses and hands-on work based experience.