Member Article

Northumberland National Park Offering Rural Job Opportunities to Unemployed Young People in the North East

Northumberland National Park are looking to the next generation to help in preserving the Park for the future, offering young people in the North East employment and training opportunities within the rural sector.

The Park are taking part in the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, aimed at helping 16-24-year-olds who receive Universal Credit to gain experience in employment and training. There will be four six-month placements available in the Park, with roles based between Rothbury and The Sill: National Discovery Centre on Hadrian’s Wall and working across the 400 square miles of the national park. The National Park Authority is looking to bring candidates into a range of roles including; Assistant Ranger, Facilities Assistant, and Welcome Team/Engagement Assistant.

Northumberland National Park Chief Executive, Tony Gates: “We’re excited to be able to offer these opportunities to young people within the region to come and work in the National Park, the North East’s National Park. Not all young people would automatically think of a career in the countryside but learning from our expert team and putting new skills to work at some of the region’s iconic and best loved locations I believe will open minds to new opportunities.

“We believe that giving these young people the chance to work in nature is important, especially in rural areas like Northumberland where our natural environment is such a rich and important resource – we hope that this scheme can help give these young people the skills they need to go forward and to train the next generation to preserve the National Park for the future.”

There are a number of our current employees in the Park who started their careers as apprentices. Northumberland National Park Authority Head of Business Support, Hazel Fitzsimmons said: “I began working at the National Park back in 1996 as an apprentice and the Park was a great environment to improve my experience and skillset and to grow within the organisation.

“I’m delighted to see the National Park taking part in the Kickstart Scheme and I look forward to seeing how our new apprentices grow within the organisation and help prepare us for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Rodgers .