FLS nurturing foresters of the future
Apprenticeships continue to be a cornerstone of Forestry and Land Scotland’s (FLS) success with young people from a wide range of backgrounds building rewarding careers in forestry.
As Scottish Apprenticeship Week (2-6 March) celebrates the benefits of apprenticeships, FLS is currently recruiting for 11 Apprentice Craftsperson roles across Scotland.
FLS apprenticeship programmes offer hands-on experience, high‑quality training, and a strong pathway into a long-term career across one of the many varied positions in the forestry industry.
During their training, apprentices will contribute to sustainable forestry through planting trees, crop protection, mechanical clearing and also conducting forest surveys, including vegetation, wildlife, and environmental surveys.
Other tasks includes maintenance work with scrub clearance, path repairs, boundary and fencing inspections, repairs and construction, litter picking, road control, painting and installing furniture in our visitor attractions.
To help those interested in learning more about the roles, FLS staff and previous apprentices will be taking part in several job fairs in the Highlands. These include at the UHI Inverness Campus (11 March) and the Gairloch Jobs Fair (13 March).
FLS Learning and Development Manager Kirsty Russell said:
“Apprenticeships are a great way to attract more young people into the organisation. The range of opportunities we can offer means that people with a wide range of skills and knowledge can apply their learning to the forestry and conservation work that FLS does.
“Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, there is the opportunity for our craftspeople to move into a permanent role with us and continue to progress their career development, not just with the practical skills but with leadership and management skills too.”
FLS apprentices receive specialist on-the-job training and industry experience with high quality learning. Many former apprentices have been recognised for their skill and professionalism at industry awards including the Lantra Scotland Awards for Land Based and Aquaculture Skills (the ALBAS).
FLS has five of its apprentices in contention for this year’s ALBAS awards to be held on Thursday (5 March) as part of Scottish Apprenticeship Week .
Apprentice craftspeople Abi Skidgmore, Daniel Needham and Hannah Thomson along with mechanical engineering apprentices Jack Ritchie and Liam Clive are all finalists across the variety of categories.
Kirsty added:
“At FLS we are incredibly proud of all our apprentices who make a significant contribution to the work we do. They show great dedication and benefit from the knowledge passed on by the staff guiding them through their apprenticeships.
“Forestry is a key rural industry which contributes around £1 billion annually to our economy while supporting biodiversity and helping to tackle climate change. So, it is important for us to be providing career opportunities to the next generation of foresters and related staff through our national forestry and land agency.”
Notes to Editors
- Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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